Fagaceae - Beech Family
"A Year With the Trees" - Tree Number 45
Black Oak
Quercus velutina
Spring
The last season's Oak leaves stay on the tree long into spring. Some of them hang on until the new leaves pop out on the limbs. The leaves are deeply lobed with pointed ends with sharp bristles. The buds are long, angled and hairy. The leaf scars are half round.
Did you know that 350 plus species are supported by the oak tree? Thousands of acorns are growing on the oaks where I live. Thousands - the wildlife can eat for a winter from these acorns. Another example is that 350 species of insects live in the oak trees ....these insects support the birds that live in the oak trees.
The Oak Tree is the Official National Tree of America. You can view the press release on the Arbor Day Foundation Website: www.arborday.org
Summer
The leaves are full and glowing with life, and the acorns are young and growing. Shade is a blessed event under a mature summer Black Oak tree.
Fall
This Black Oak lives at 6000 feet above sea level on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. My husband, Robert, and I were up there last week watching the beautiful sunrise. After the sun came up, I noticed this Black Oak tree had a congregation of beautiful bugs with amazing red markings. These bugs are the Oak treehopper nymphs. Most unusual and very beautiful!
Winter
The Black Oak Tree has a color of bark appropriate for it's name, Black. This tree grows up to an average of 80 feet high with a diameter of 2-4 feet.
The acorn of the Black Oak has a cap that covers about half of the acorn.
The end buds of this tree are densely hairy and sharply angled. This is a distinguishing feature between this tree and the Red Oak tree, for the Red Oak Tree has a hairless end bud that is not angled.
Champion Trees
The Champion Black Oak Tree can be found in Hartford, Connecticut. It is 80 feet high and has a circumference of 347 inches. It won the title in 1989.
https://www.americanforests.org/big-trees/black-oak-quercus-velutina-2/
For the Love of the Trees,
Becky
"A Year With the Trees" - Tree Number 45
Black Oak
Quercus velutina
Spring
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| Black Oak - Quercus velutina |
Did you know that 350 plus species are supported by the oak tree? Thousands of acorns are growing on the oaks where I live. Thousands - the wildlife can eat for a winter from these acorns. Another example is that 350 species of insects live in the oak trees ....these insects support the birds that live in the oak trees.
The Black Oak that lives in front of my window has beautiful opening buds today.
Colors of red and green and yellow.
The Oak Tree is the Official National Tree of America. You can view the press release on the Arbor Day Foundation Website: www.arborday.org
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| The Black Oak Tree - Quercus velutina |
Treat the earth well.
It was not given to you by your parents,
it was loaned to you by your children.
We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors,
we borrow it from our Children.
~ Ancient Indian Proverb ~
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| A Black Oak Gall which is probably the home to the Cynipid Wasp Larva. |
Fall
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| The Black Oak Tree in October |
Winter
The Black Oak Tree has a color of bark appropriate for it's name, Black. This tree grows up to an average of 80 feet high with a diameter of 2-4 feet.
The acorn of the Black Oak has a cap that covers about half of the acorn.
The end buds of this tree are densely hairy and sharply angled. This is a distinguishing feature between this tree and the Red Oak tree, for the Red Oak Tree has a hairless end bud that is not angled.
Champion Trees
The Champion Black Oak Tree can be found in Hartford, Connecticut. It is 80 feet high and has a circumference of 347 inches. It won the title in 1989.
https://www.americanforests.org/big-trees/black-oak-quercus-velutina-2/
For the Love of the Trees,
Becky
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