Pin Oak

Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)

Identification

As a member of the Black Oak group, leaves have pins at the end of every point. Leaves are deeply lobed, relatively thin, glossy on the top, and hairless. Like the leaves, buds and twigs are hairless and buds sharp. Bark on the trunk of mature trees is shallowly ridged and becomes smooth gray with few isolated ridges stretching along the length of upper branches as on saplings. Acorns are fairly small with a shallow saucer-shaped cap, compare saucer and bowl-shaped acorn caps. Oaks are often difficult to identify and one similar species that also occurs in New England is the Scarlet Oak. This species has similar leaf shape and fall color but has hairy buds and deep acorn caps that extend up around the acorn like a bowl.

Examples:

Leaves of the Pin Oak.

NPS Photo/ W. Kaselow

Fruit, or acorns, of the Pin Oak.

NPS Photo/ W. Kaselow

Flowers of the Pin Oak.

Famartin via Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Young leaves of the Pin Oak.

Famartin via Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Fall coloring of the Pin Oak.

Famartin via Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0