Quercus austrina (Bastard White Oak, Bluff Oak, Oaks) - 6 Photos - Quercus/austrina/Fagaceae - Plant Profile

Attributes

SE North America

From Mississippi to the Carolinas

Acorns attract squirrels and other mammals. Oak trees support a wide variety of Lepidopteran. You may see Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed. Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus), which have one flight from June-August everywhere but Florida where they emerge April-May. Edward's Hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii), has one flight from May-July in the south and June-July in the north. Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), has three to four flights in the south from February-November and two flights in the north from May-September. White-M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album) has three broods in the north from February-October. Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) has three broods in Texas and the deep south from January-November, and two broods in the north from April-September. Juvenal’s Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis) has one brood from April-June, appearing as early as January in Florida.

Edibility:

Acorns are edible if tannins are leached or boiled out.

Life Cycle:

Woody

Recommended Propagation Strategy:

Seed

Fruit

Fruit Description:

The .5 to 1-inch brown acorns are oval and solitary or paired. They are 1/3 to 1/2 covered with a gray scaly cap. Matures in 1 year.

Fruit Type:

Nut

Fruit Color:

Brown/Copper

Gray/Silver

Display/Harvest Time:

Fall

Fruit Length:

< 1 inch

Fruit Width:

< 1 inch

Flowers

Flower Description:

Yellow-brown male catkins

Flower Color:

Gold/Yellow

Brown/Copper

Flower Inflorescence:

Insignificant

Catkin

Flower Bloom Time:

Spring

Leaves

Leaf Description:

4-8 inch long and 2-4 inch wide leaves are narrow with shallow, rounded, irregular lobes or can be sinuate. Green to gray-green color with secondary veins on each side. Young leaves will have hairs and mature leaves do not. Fall color is copper, orange or yellow.

Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:

Deciduous

Leaf Color:

Green

Gray/Silver

Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:

Brown/Copper

Gold/Yellow

Orange

Leaf Type:

Simple

Leaf Arrangement:

Alternate

Leaf Shape:

Elliptical

Obovate

Leaf Margin:

Entire

Lobed

Sinuate

Hairs Present:

Yes

Leaf Length:

> 6 inches

Leaf Value To Gardener:

Showy

Leaf Width:

3-6 inches

Bark

Bark Description:

The bark is scaly, pale gray and contains broad ridges.

Bark Color:

Light Gray

Surface/Attachment:

Ridges

Stem

Stem Description:

Branchlets are dark brown, with prominent, corky, whitish lenticels. Buds are dark brown, pointed and pubescent.

Stem Is Aromatic:

No

Stem Buds:

Hairy

Stem Bud Terminal:

Cluster of terminal buds

Stem Lenticels:

Conspicuous

Poisonous to Humans

Poison Symptoms:

Abdominal pain, constipation then diarrhea (occasionally bloody), depression, frequent urination, discolored urine, jaundice; acorns can obstruct the digestive tract

Poison Toxic Principle:

Gallotannins, quercitrin, and quercitin.

Poison Severity:

Low

Causes Contact Dermatitis:

No

Poison Part:

Leaves

Fruits

Whole Plant Traits

Plant Type:

Tree