Need a Tree ID

[Joey Rott]

A couple days ago, I was talking to Phil (letemgrow), about 3 trees next to the building of my work. There are still leftover acorns everywhere from last year, and this year, there are already tons of little pea-sized acorns starting. So it's definately a heavy mast producing tree.

I started working here in January and without the leaves, with smoother bark, and shape, I thought it was an oak in the Red family. But as leaves appeared, they were all rounded. Oval shaped acorns with smooth caps covering 1/3 the acorn. We're thinking it might be an English or some other hybrid. There's nothing native around here like it. Strong central leader, and small limbs.

Here are some pics I just took.

 

[JNRBRONC]

Rounded leaf lobes means white oak family, right??? From there, though.....

 

[Joey Rott]

Rounded leaf lobes means white oak family, right??? From there, though.....

Yep.. That's what I understand too.

 

[Sticks]

yep its an oak for sure.... IMO its a post oak

 

[Sticks]

i could be wrong tho

 

[letemgrow]

I do not think it is a post oak, all the post oaks I have seen have very small acorns. I am sure there is some genetic variation. I am going with english oak or some english oak hybrid. Definitely in the white oak group tho.

 

[dbltree]

Post oak leaves have a "cross" like shape...

I think Phil is closer as English Oaks have a longer more slender acorn

Compared to white oak leaves:

There is a wide variation in white oak leaves

The white oak, subgroup of genus (Quercus) leaf is identified as a simple (one blade), pinnate, evenly spaced, and rounded leaf lobes. The leaf on the left has much shallower lobes than the one on the right, with its fiddle shape and large terminal lobe. This demonstrates the broad variation in white oak leaf shapes, but remember the major identity key to tell the difference between oak leaves is by knowing the rounded leaf lobes belong to white oaks

White swamp oak is different yet...

 

[Joey Rott]

The few old caps I could find look identical to these

Being that there are different variations of the English and hybrids.. it may account for the shape of the tree with the small branches and strong central leader. Either way, I'll be picking up a bunch of acorns once they start dropping!

Thanks Guys!

 

[letemgrow]

Swamp white oaks will have long stems attached to the acorn cap and come off the acorn at a 45 degree angle. I believe the stems are 2-3 inches long. Also the bark on the branches will flake off.

Here is a swamp white oak on my farm.

 

[letemgrow]

Here is a pic of the acorns off the English Oak Hybrid that I have access too. The caps sure look different from a pure English Oak. I was told it was crossed with a white oak, but maybe it's actually a bur oak/English hybrid??

 

[dbltree]

maybe it's actually a bur oak??

Sure looks like it to me but foresters tell me that often they can only be sure by testing DNA

 

[letemgrow]

Sure looks like it to me but foresters tell me that often they can only be sure by testing DNA

It is not a pure bur oak, just thinking maybe it was crossed with one...English/Bur Hybrid. The cap is not shaggy enough on the acorns to be a bur unless it is just FAR different from any other bur oak I have seen.

Here is what a bur oak looks like in my area.

 

[DannyBoy]

Looking at the leaves alone, my first instinct told me Bur Oak....

 

[chokepoint]

In my area of Canada we don't have white oaks except for English Oaks. Does anyone know how palatable to deer English Oak acorns are?