Chestnut Oak - Quercus montana

Fagaceae - Beech Family
"A Year With the Trees" - Tree Number 41
Chestnut Oak
Quercus montana


Spring

Quercus montana- Chestnut Oak 

Brightly colored young Chestnut Oak leaves are coming out of their buds in the spring.

The leaves of the chestnut oak are wavy edged. The Oak is late putting out it's spring leaves. The April leaves are still quite small.

Summer

The Chestnut Oak in July; the acorns are growing.

Young developing Chestnut oak acorns and late summer leaves

The Chestnut Oak Tree in July

The leaves of the Chestnut tree are simple, alternate, and wavy (almost toothed) edged. These leaves can be up to 10 inches long and 3 inches wide. The acorns are coming out now and are still green. This tree usually grows up to 80 feet in height.

Fall

The Chestnut Oak and the Wheel Bugs in September

This amazing tree complete with the wheel bugs lives right outside my window. I follow the changes of the seasons with this beautiful tree. Now that it is September, its leaves are changing. The leaves have little holes in them; and the green is darker, not the same green it was when the leaves first appeared. Acorns and insects are all over the Chestnut Oak outside my window on this bright September day.

The wheel bugs are a type of assassin beetle. The wheel bug is considered a beneficial insect because it eats harmful insects, such as sawflys, aphids and Japanese beetles. It is not a good idea to handle these bugs for they bite and the bite is said to be painful. The good news is that these bugs do not come after you. They are very slow (said to be one of slowest bugs ever) and will not bother you unless you bother them.

During late summer the Wheel bugs mate and the female will lay her eggs in the twigs of the tree. The female will lay 40-200 eggs only once. She will die soon after laying her eggs and possibly eating her mate as well. Yikes! They are known to be efficient assassins; they come complete with armor, weapon, and poison for killing their prey. Thus, the name, assassin.


Winter

The Chestnut Oak in winter.

The leaves are still lingering on the Chestnut Oak Trees. The bark is dark gray to brown, and the twigs are reddish brown and smooth. The buds are acute and 1/2 inch long. The acorns are about 1-1.5 inches long, with a deep bowl shape enclosing half the nut.

For the love of the trees,
Becky

A page from my journal