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Bur Oak

Quercus macrocarpa

Other common name(s):

Savannah Oak, Mossy-cup Oak

Family:

Fagaceae (Beech Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Texas Blackland Prairies
Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland
Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Mid-Coast Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Tree

Height

60
to
80
ft.

Spread

30
to
50
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Clay

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade, Shade

Water Requirement

Medium

Native Habitat

Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Yellow, Green, Brown

Bloom Season

Spring

Seasonal Interest

Nuts, Larval Host

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies, Birds, Small Mammals

Maintenance

Very adaptable; needs lots of space & deep soil. Prune for shape or to raise canopy. Propagation: Seed.

Comments

Large, majestic, 200 to 300 year lifespan. Medium growth rate.. Tolerates limey soils better than other oaks. One of most drought resistant oaks. Acorns are golf-ball sized, largest of all oaks & distinguished by very deep fringed cups. A white oak species, so resistant to Oak Wilt. Habitat notes: widely distributed and capable of withstanding a wide range of harsh conditions. Important source of food for wildlife. Larval Host: Edward’s Hairstreak, Horace’s Duskywing butterflies.

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 48. 3) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 341. 4) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUMA2. 5) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Quercus+macrocarpa&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 6) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=12130&locationType=County&mapType=Normal., 7) Native and Adapted Landscape Plants, City of Austin and Texas A&M, 2014, 8) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=19287#null

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