Pin Oak
Quercus palustris · Fagaceae (Beech and Oak family)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Leaf Morphology
Leaf Type
Simple, deciduous leaf
Shape
Lobed with 5 to 7 deep lobes that have bristly-tipped teeth; sinuses extend deeply toward the midrib
Margin
Lobed and serrate with bristle-tipped teeth
Arrangement
Alternate
Venation
Pinnate venation with a prominent central midrib and branching secondary veins
Key Features
Deeply cut sinuses that reach more than halfway to the midrib, bristle-tipped leaf lobes, and the characteristic drooping lower branches of the parent tree
Description
Quercus palustris, commonly known as the pin oak, is a medium-sized deciduous tree renowned for its distinctive branch habit: upper branches grow upward, middle branches grow horizontally, and lower branches droop downward. It features dark brown bark that becomes furrowed with age, small acorns with saucer-like caps, and deeply lobed leaves that turn brilliant bronze and red in autumn.
Habitat
Found primarily on moist, rich bottomland soils, poorly drained floodplains, and around the borders of swamps and streams
Native Range
Native to eastern and central North America, from New England west to Ontario and Kansas, and south to Arkansas and North Carolina