Pin Oak
Quercus palustris · Fagaceae (Beech and Oak family)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Leaf Morphology
Leaf Type
Simple, deciduous leaf
Shape
Lobed (pinnately lobed), featuring 5 to 7 deep lobes with bristle-tipped teeth
Margin
Lobed with bristle-tipped teeth and very deep, rounded sinuses that reach almost to the midrib
Arrangement
Alternate arrangement along the twig, featuring a slender petiole
Venation
Pinnate venation with a prominent, pale yellowish-green midrib and branching lateral veins
Key Features
Deeply cut sinuses that extend more than halfway to the midrib, bristle-tipped lobes, lower branches that persistently droop toward the ground, and small round acorns.
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 toward the ground. It features dark brown, smoothish bark that becomes shallowly furrowed with age, and produces small, rounded acorns enclosed in a flat, saucer-like cup.
Habitat
Typically found in moist to wet bottomland forests, along floodplains, and around the borders of swamps, preferring heavy clay soils and slightly acidic conditions, with full sun exposure.
Native Range
Native to eastern and central North America, ranging from Connecticut west to Kansas, and south to Arkansas and North Carolina. Widely planted as an urban street tree.