Pin Oak
Quercus palustris · Fagaceae (Beech and Oak family)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Leaf Morphology
Leaf Type
Simple leaf, deciduous
Shape
Obovate to oblong with 5 to 7 deeply cut lobes separated by wide, rounded sinuses; each lobe typically terminates in several bristly teeth
Margin
Deeply lobed with spinose-toothed (bristle-tipped) margins
Arrangement
Alternate arrangement along the twigs
Venation
Pinnate venation with a prominent yellowish midrib and primary veins branching out symmetrically
Key Features
Deeply lobed leaves with U-shaped sinuses and bristle tips, lower drooping branches that persist on the trunk, and small, saucer-shaped acorn caps
Description
Quercus palustris is a medium to large deciduous tree known for its distinctive growth habit, featuring upper branches that grow upward, middle branches that grow horizontally, and lower branches that droop downward toward the ground, often remaining on the tree even after dying. It produces small acorns and features smoothish brown bark that becomes shallowly furrowed with age.
Habitat
Typically found in moist to wet bottomland soils, floodplains, and around the borders of swamps, though highly adaptable and widely planted in urban landscapes on various soils
Native Range
Native to the eastern and central United States, stretching from New York west to Michigan and Kansas, and south to Georgia and Arkansas