Quercus macrocarpa

Burr Oak, Cup Oak, Mossycup Oak

Fagaceae“oak” “large carpel”

Aimee White

Distribution

USA: AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY

CAN: AB, MB, NB, ON, QC, SK

Endangered in Connecticut and of Special Concern in Massachusetts

TaxonomyKingdom Plantae - Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plantsSuperdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants

Division Magnoliophyta – Flowering plantsClass Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons

Subclass HamamelididaeOrder Fagales

Family Fagaceae – Beech familyGenus Quercus L. - oak

Species Quercus macrocarpa – Burr Oak

General Information

• In the Beech family• deciduous• Zones A2, A3; 1-11, and 14-23• Native to eastern North America• Named after its rather large acorns• White oak group• Freeze resistant to -38° F

Culture

• Full sun-partial shade• Prefers drier soils but

tolerates some moisture• Not pH sensitive• Drought, soil compaction,

and pollution tolerant• Propagated by seeds• Active growth: spring-

summer

Problems

• No major known pest or disease problems• Does not transplant well in autumn• Large acorns can pose problems for understory

plants, pedestrians and vehicles…so probably not the best street tree!

Form• Large shade tree• Matures to 70’ tall and wide in urban environments….larger in native habitat

•Upright oval growth habit in youth, becoming rounded, spreading and massive with age

•Slow to medium growth rate

•Minimal surface roots

Foliage

• dark green, alternate, strongly obovate, and deeply lobed

• fall color is yellow-brown to chartreuse and usually poor

The large dark green leaf blade (about 10" long and 5" wide) is thick and leathery, having a lighter-colored underside that yields a more subtle bicolor in the breeze as compared to some other White Oak Group members, and is supported by a short yet stout petiole.

Trunk

•Grooved/furrowed

•Fire resistant

Flowers and Fruit

Fruit is a huge (1.5" long) oval acorn with a thick cap that is fringed at the lower end, covering almost the entire nut and matures in a single season

Flowers: Monoecious; male flowers are 2”-4” yellow-green, drooping, slender catkins; female flowers are green tinged in red and appear as single, short spikes, both appear shortly after the leaves.

Produces fruit up to 400 years!

Usage• Good shade tree for large lawns, golf courses,

parks, open fields, or naturalized areas, including areas that are very dry in summer

• Strong bark makes the Burr Oak a valuable timber tree for beams, boards, railroad ties, furniture, and floors

• Fuel wood• Habitat and sustenance for browsing animals• Climbing!!!

Tree Appraisal

Case # 1 Property: UC Davis Arboretum Date: 11/18/2008

Appraiser: Aimee White

1. Species: Quercus macrocarpa2. Condition: [Roots (95%) + Trunk (95%) + Scaffold Branches (40%)] ÷ 3 = 77%3. Trunk diameter: 47” in/cm4. Location% = [Site: 90% + Contribution: 100% + Placement: 60%] ÷ 3 = 83.3%5. Species rating: 90%6. Replacement tree size (Trunk Area): 14.6 in²/cm²TAr7. Replacement Tree Cost: $902.508. Installation Cost: $902.509. Installed Tree Cost: $1,80510. Unit Tree Cost: $55 per in²/cm²11. Appraised Trunk Area ((ATA)from table): 1430 in²/cm²12. Appraised Tree Trunk Increase (ATTI): ATA (1430 in²/cm²) – TAr (14.6 in²/cm²) = 1415.4 in²/cm²13. Basic Tree Cost: ATTI (1415.4 in²/cm²) x Unit Tree Cost ($55 per in²/cm²) + Installed Tree Cost ($1,805) =

$79,65214. Appraised Value: Basic Tree Cost ($79,652) x Species Rating (90%) x Condition (77%) x Location (83.3%) =

$45,980.6315. Appraised Value ~ $46,000

The End!

ReferencesUSDA Natural Conservation Resources Service (NCRS). Plant Profile: Quercus macrocarpa. 27, Nov

2008. <plants.usda.gov/java/profile?/symbol=quma2>.

Virgina Tech, Department of Forestry. “Burr Oak.” 27 Nov, 2008. 2008. <http://www.cnr.vt.edu/ DENDRO/DENDROLOGY/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=72>.

Western Garden. Kathleen Norris Brenzel. Sunset Publishing: Menalo Park, CA. 2007.