Pin Oak
Quercus palustris · Fagaceae (Beech and Oak family)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Leaf Morphology
Leaf Type
Simple, deciduous leaf
Shape
Deeply lobed (pinnately lobed), typically with 5 to 7 lobes that have bristle-tips and deep, u-shaped sinuses
Margin
Lobed with bristle-tipped teeth along the edges of the lobes
Arrangement
Alternate arrangement along the twig
Venation
Pinnate venation with a prominent central midrib and secondary veins extending into each lobe
Key Features
Deeply cut lobes with bristle-tips, very deep sinuses that often extend more than halfway to the midrib, and the characteristic drooping lower branches of the parent tree
Description
The Pin Oak is a medium to large deciduous tree known for its distinctive branch habit: upper branches grow upward, middle branches grow horizontally, and lower branches droop downward. It produces small acorns and features dark, smoothish bark that develops thin ridges with age. The deeply cut leaves are exceptionally graceful and turn brilliant shades of red and bronze in the fall.
Habitat
Typically found in moist to wet bottomland soils, floodplains, and around the borders of swamps, preferring acidic soils and full sun
Native Range
Native to the eastern and central United States, extending from southern Ontario down to Oklahoma and Georgia, and widely planted as an urban street tree