Description
This plant is restricted for shipment to CA , OR
Latin Name: Quercus macrocarpa
Common Names: Bur Oak, Mossycup Oak, Blue Oak, Burly Oak
Hardiness Zones: 3-8
Mature Height: Typically grows between 60-80 feet (18-24 meters) tall with a broad, spreading crown. It is one of the slowest-growing oaks but is long-lived and among the most massive.
Soil / Climate: Native to North America, particularly in the eastern and midwestern United States and south-central Canada. It thrives in well-drained sandy loam and full sun but can tolerate partial shade. The Bur Oak is adaptable to various soil types and can endure drought conditions.
Notes: The leaves are leathery and dark green, typically 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) long, with 5 to 9 rounded lobes. In the fall, they turn yellow-brown. In spring, the tree produces inconspicuous yellowish-green flowers. Male flowers appear in 2-4 inch (5-10 cm) long catkins, while female flowers are found in short spikes. The flowers develop into acorns, which may take up to 35 years to appear. Bur Oak acorns are notably large, up to 2 inches long and 1.5 inches wide, making them a vital food source for wildlife. The acorn cups are covered with burs or a mossy-type scale, contributing to the tree’s common names. The Bur Oak is typically found in open areas rather than dense forests and belongs to the white oak group. The bark is brown-gray, scaly, and lacks prominent fissures. The wood is high-quality, often marketed as “white oak,” and the Bur Oak is known for its fire tolerance.
Problems: The Bur Oak can be susceptible to several issues including cankers, shoestring root rot, oak wilt, powdery mildew, anthracnose, leaf spots, chestnut blight, and oak leaf blister. It may also face problems from galls, scale, oak lace bugs, caterpillars, borers, nut weevils, leaf miners, and oak skeletonizes.
Wildlife: The acorns are a favorite food of black bears. Other wildlife, such as deer, rabbits, and porcupines, may eat the leaves, twigs, and bark, potentially damaging seedlings. In some areas, cattle also browse heavily on Bur Oak trees.
Cold Stream Farm supplies Bur Oak trees which are grown as bare root seedlings and transplants and sold both wholesale and retail with no minimum order.
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