Biological Name:
Quercus palustris (Pin-Oak)
Natural Habitat:
Pin Oak: This tree is native to North America and can be found in a variety of habitats including forests and woodlands.
Description:
Pin oak is a type of deciduous tree that is commonly found in forests and other wooded areas. It is a member of the Fagaceae family which also includes plants such as beeches and chestnuts. Pin oak is a medium-sized tree that can grow up to 80 feet tall. It has a rounded crown and a straight trunk with glossy green leaves that turn reddish-brown in the fall. The tree produces small inconspicuous flowers and acorns which are a favorite food of many animals. Pin oak is often used as a shade tree or as a source of timber. In some areas it is considered a weed because of its ability to spread quickly and outcompete native plants.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Is pin oak A good tree?
A: Pin oak is easy to transplant because it has a shallow, fibrous root system. Pin oak’s ability to thrive in nursery culture explains why it is a common tree found in garden centers. It is a great tree for large landscapes, but its hanging lower branches make it a high-maintenance street tree.
Source
Q: Is pin oak toxic to dogs?
A: Not only are they a choking hazard, but oak acorns and young oak leaves also contain a chemical called gallotannin, which can cause severe gastrointestinal distress in dogs, including vomiting, lethargy, diarrhea, and damage to the liver and kidneys.
Source
Q: What is the lifespan of a pin oak?
A: Pin oak (Quercus palustris) belongs to the Fagaceae family. Its Latin name comes from the environment in which it has been described and named for the first time by the botanist Otto von Munchhausen in 1770. Deciduous tree, Pin oak high is between 25 and 30 meters and its lifespan is between 150 and 200 years.
Source
Q: Where should I plant a pin oak?
A: The pin oak grows in acidic, loamy, moist, rich, sandy, well-drained, wet and clay soils. It can tolerate wet conditions, including moderate flooding.
Source
Q: How tall is a 5 year old pin oak tree?
A: Pin oaks can grow up to 12-15ft tall within 5 years. That’s as tall as 2 NBA players stacked on top of one another. Pin oak trees generally live up to 120 years and reach a full height of 60-70ft.
Source
Q: Is a pin oak the same as a red oak?
A: Pin oak (Quercus palustris) is a member of the broad red oak group (red, black, blackjack, northern pin, and shingle). This group is characterized by having bristles or points on the leaf lobes and acorns which mature in two growing seasons and sprout in the spring after maturity.
Source
Q: Is pin oak valuable?
A: Pin oak stumpage is consistently of lesser value compared to other species in the red oak and white oak family. The primary reason for the disparity has to do with the consistent branching habit of pin oak.
Source
Q: What can pin oak be used for?
A: Even though the wood is heavy, strong, and hard, pin oak is typically used for fuel wood, wood pulp, and railroad ties, since it tends to warp. Due to this species’ form, adaptability, growth rate, longevity, and fall foliar display, it is popular for ornamental usage.
Source
Q: Do all pin oaks have acorns?
A: The fruit of Quercus palustris is the acorn, roughly 15,000 of which will be produced by any given Pin Oak each year.
Source
Q: What is fastest growing oak tree?
A: Also known as pin oak or red oak, the Nuttall oak is the fastest growing oak tree. In addition to providing a leafy canopy, it can give animals such as deer and squirrels a large supply of acorns each year.
Source
Q: Do pin oaks turn red?
A: It reaches up to 70 feet in urban settings and can tolerate soil compaction and air pollution. The pin oak has great fall color, turning russet, bronze, and red.
Source
Q: Is pin oak Red or white?
A: Color/Appearance: Has a light to medium reddish-brown color, though there can be a fair amount of variation in color. Conversely, White Oak tends to be slightly more olive-colored, but is by no means a reliable method of determining the type of oak.
Source
Q: What is a pin oak good for?
A: Even though the wood is heavy, strong, and hard, pin oak is typically used for fuel wood, wood pulp, and railroad ties, since it tends to warp. Due to this species’ form, adaptability, growth rate, longevity, and fall foliar display, it is popular for ornamental usage.
Source
Q: Why do they call it pin oak?
A: The name pin oak comes from its short, tough branchlets located along the branches and limbs. Because of its tolerance for wet conditions, the tree is also known regionally as swamp oak, water oak and swamp Spanish oak.
Source
Q: Are pin oaks worth money?
A: Pin oak stumpage is consistently of lesser value compared to other species in the red oak and white oak family. The primary reason for the disparity has to do with the consistent branching habit of pin oak.
Source
Q: What is the lifespan of a pin oak tree?
A: Pin oak (Quercus palustris) belongs to the Fagaceae family. Its Latin name comes from the environment in which it has been described and named for the first time by the botanist Otto von Munchhausen in 1770. Deciduous tree, Pin oak high is between 25 and 30 meters and its lifespan is between 150 and 200 years.
Source
Q: How can you tell white oak from pin oak?
A: The easiest to spot, as noted in Liesel’s note, is the presence or absence of a pin on the leaves. On the pin oak, the leaves taper to a little hair-like spike — the pin. These are not found on the white oak. White oak seedlings have rounded leaf lobes.
Source
Q: What color does a pin oak turn in the fall?
A: The pin oak has great fall color, turning russet, bronze, and red.
Source
Q: How big do pin oaks get?
A: The term “pin oak†is especially given to Quercus palustris, found on bottomlands and moist upland soils in the eastern and central United States. Usually about 25 metres (80 feet) tall but occasionally reaching 35 metres (115 feet), the tree has a broad pyramidal crown and drooping lower branches.
Source
Q: How tall is a 10 year old pin oak?
A: Group of leaf blades: each one averages 4.2 inches in lentgh and is pinnatifid, with 7 lobes. The 10-year-old pin oak will be roughly 8 meters tall and possess a straight, cylindrical trunk with smooth bark.
Source
Q: What is the life expectancy of a pin oak?
A: Pin oak (Quercus palustris) belongs to the Fagaceae family. Its Latin name comes from the environment in which it has been described and named for the first time by the botanist Otto von Munchhausen in 1770. Deciduous tree, Pin oak high is between 25 and 30 meters and its lifespan is between 150 and 200 years.
Source
Q: Do pin oaks have invasive roots?
A: This oak does not have the deep tap roots that can make transplanting field-grown oaks problematic. Pin oak’s roots are shallow, and the tree transplants easily. You can plant a pin oak anywhere on your property as the root damage potential is low.
Source
Q: Do pin oaks need to be trimmed?
A: Pin Oak trees should be pruned when the tree is dormant and insect activity is at a minimum. The dead of winter around Christmas time is always a good choice. Avoid pruning in Spring, Summer, or early Fall when insects are still active.
Source
Q: Are pin oaks hard to grow?
A: Pin Oak is one of the most popular landscaping oaks because it’s so easy to transplant, grows relatively quickly and is a very hardy tree. One of the tree’s most distinguishable traits is that its lower branches hang down, while the middle branches reach out horizontally and the upper branches grow upright.
Source
