Oak, Bur (AB)
At a Glance
Latin name: Quercus macrocarpa
Zones: 3-8
Other common names: bur oak, mossycup oak, blue oak, burly oak
Mature Height: 70-80 ft. It is one of the slowest-growing oaks but one of the most massive with a trunk diameter of up to 10 ft.
Soil / Climate: Native to North America in the eastern and midwestern United States and south-central Canada. It grows best in well-drained sandy loam with full sun although it can tolerate partial shade.
Notes: The Bur Oak acorns are very large getting up to 2 inches long and 1.5 inches broad which makes it an important wildlife food. It usually grows out in the open away from the forest of trees. The wood is of high quality, and is almost always marketed as “white oak”. The bur oak is among the most fire-tolerant tree species.
Wildlife: Black bears love the acorns. Other wildlife, such as deer, rabbits and porcupine eat the leaves, twigs and bark and can cause damage to seedlings.
Cattle are heavy browsers in some areas.
Provides habitat for deer, turkey, hummingbird
Purchase Size: 2-3 ft.
USDA NRCS Species Information