Plant Profile: Quercus robur

High-quality wood for furniture, tool making and shipbuilding. Acorns were roasted to make an inferior coffee substitute. Used in the leather tanning process.

Asia, Europe

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. Green oak moth ( Tortrix viridana ) feeds on oak leaves in its caterpillar form and then rolls itself up in a leaf to pupate. The caterpillar is prey to four speices of ichneumon wasps. Gall wasps also lay their young inside leaves causing the plant to create oak apples or galls. Acorns are eaten by many birds and mammals which in turn attract birds of prey like owls and hawks. Woodpeckers feed on insects in the bark.

Perennial

Woody

Seed

Wildlife Food Source