North Carolina Shrubs & Trees

by Jeffrey S. Pippen | Back to Jeff's Plant Page | Jeff's Nature Pages


Fagaceae > Quercus (oak)


Oaks in the white oak group lack bristles at the tips of the lobes. Acorns of this group mature in one year, and the insides of the acorn shells are hairless.
White Oak (Quercus alba) White Oak (Quercus alba)
Chatham Co., NC
24 Sep 2005

Statewide and common in North Carolina forested habitats. Leaf lobes are rounded.

White Oak (Quercus alba) White Oak (Quercus alba)
Durham Co., NC
11 Apr 2009

Very young leaves with flower catkins.

White Oak (Quercus alba) White Oak (Quercus alba)
Chatham Co., NC
24 Sep 2005

Bark of larger trees forms shaggy plate-like shingles.

White Oak (Quercus alba) White Oak (Quercus alba)
Durham Co., NC
11 Apr 2009

Older bark near base of trees is much tighter.


Post Oak (Quercus stellata) Post Oak (Quercus stellata)
Orange Co., NC
15 May 2008

Statewide in North Carolina, common in the eastern half in upland forests and wooded habitats. Leaves are often described as cross-shaped and have stellate (star-shaped) clusters of hairs as seen with a hand-lens.

Post Oak (Quercus stellata) Post Oak (Quercus stellata)
Orange Co., NC
15 May 2008

Fading flower clusters (catkins).

Post Oak (Quercus stellata) Post Oak (Quercus stellata)
Orange Co., NC
15 May 2008


Chestnut Oak (Quercus prinus) Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana)
Graham Co., NC
28 Apr 2006

Also referred to as Quercus prinus, Chestnut Oak is common on hilltops in the NC piedmont & mountains.

Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana) Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana)
This soils over granite outcrops in Alexander Co., NC
3 July 2009

Leaves are coursely blunt-toothed (or evenly shallowly lobed).

Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana) Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana)
This soils over granite outcrops in Alexander Co., NC
3 July 2009

Immature acorns shown here.

Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana) Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana)
Blackwood Mountain, Orange Co., NC
28 Sep 2009

When acorns mature, which occurs in the same year as produced, the cup will covers about a third of the nut. The nuts are often quite colorful as they mature, including yellow and red hues until ultimately cecoming a rich, shiny brown.

Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana) Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana)
Blackwood Mountain, Orange Co., NC
28 Sep 2009

Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana) Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana)
Blackwood Mountain, Orange Co., NC
28 Sep 2009

Bark of mature trees is gray and very blocky.

Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana) Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana)
Blackwood Mountain, Orange Co., NC
28 Sep 2009


Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata) Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata)
New Hope Creek bottomlands, Durham Co., NC
6 Sep 2009

Leaves are somewhat oddly shaped with blunt lobes ending in a mucronate tip. Leaves usually have a narrow or restricted area near the base.

Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata) Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata)
New Hope Creek bottomlands, Durham Co., NC
6 Sep 2009

Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata) Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata)
New Hope Creek bottomlands, Durham Co., NC
6 Sep 2009

Looking up at the Overcup Oak canopy.

Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata) Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata)
New Hope Creek bottomlands, Durham Co., NC
6 Sep 2009

Acorn nuts are virtually completely covered by their caps.

Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata)
New Hope Creek bottomlands, Durham Co., NC
31 Oct 2009
Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata) Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata)
New Hope Creek bottomlands, Durham Co., NC
26 Oct 2009

Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata) Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata)
New Hope Creek bottomlands, Durham Co., NC
26 Oct 2009

Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata) Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata)
New Hope Creek bottomlands, Durham Co., NC
26 Oct 2009

Like most oaks in the white oak group, bark is light colored.

Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata) Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata)
New Hope Creek bottomlands, Durham Co., NC
6 Sep 2009

Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata) Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata)
New Hope Creek bottomlands, Durham Co., NC
6 Sep 2009

Bark of medium tree.

Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata) Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata)
New Hope Creek bottomlands, Durham Co., NC
6 Sep 2009

Mature trees often buttress at their bases as a result of living in mud or frequently standing water.


Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)
Barrier island in Currituck Co., NC
6 Nov 2009

Common along the Outer Coastal Plain in NC

Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)
Barrier island in Currituck Co., NC
6 Nov 2009

Acorns mature in the same year they were formed.

Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)
Barrier island in Currituck Co., NC
6 Nov 2009

Leaves are very tough and generally evergreen.

Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)
Barrier island in Dare Co., NC
10 Nov 2012

Leaves are mildly revolute and pubescent-glaucus below.

Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)
Barrier island in Dare Co., NC
10 Nov 2012

Old female flowers?

Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)
Barrier island in Currituck Co., NC
6 Nov 2009

Live Oak can be a fairly large tree or form a thick hedge.

Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)
Barrier island in Currituck Co., NC
6 Nov 2009

Bark detail


Oaks in the red oak group have bristle-tipped lobes (sometimes wearing off or hard to see, as in Blackjack Oak. Acorns take two years to mature (look for older acorns on last year's twigs and younger acorns on this years twigs) and have hairs on the inside of the shells, observable when cracked open.
Scarlet Oak (Querucs coccinea) Scarlet Oak (Querucs coccinea)
Durham Co., NC
11 Apr 2009

Statewide in NC and fairly common in dry, upland forests. Shown here are young leaves with flowers.

Scarlet Oak (Querucs coccinea) Scarlet Oak (Querucs coccinea)
Orange Co., NC
21 Sep 2011

Leaves are shiny both above and below and have large, rounded "C-shaped" sinuses.

Scarlet Oak (Querucs coccinea) Scarlet Oak (Querucs coccinea)
Orange Co., NC
21 Sep 2011

Winter buds are gray/silver tipped.

Scarlet Oak (Querucs coccinea) Scarlet Oak (Querucs coccinea)
Orange Co., NC
21 Sep 2011

Acorn are medium sized with cups usually covering 1/3 to 1/2 the nut. On some nuts, concentric circles are observed from the bottom tip of the nut.

Scarlet Oak (Querucs coccinea) Scarlet Oak (Querucs coccinea)
Durham Co., NC
11 Apr 2009

Bark of medium tree has narrow flattened ridges with shallow furrows in between.

Scarlet Oak (Querucs coccinea) Scarlet Oak (Querucs coccinea)
Durham Co., NC
11 Apr 2009


Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata) Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata)
Durham Co., NC
11 Apr 2009

Statewide in NC in dryish forests. Young leaves with flowering catkins.

Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata) Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata)
Person Co., NC
5 June 2011

Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata) Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata)
Orange Co., NC
20 Sep 2012

Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata) Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata)
Orange Co., NC
20 Sep 2012

Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata) Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata)
Durham Co., NC
11 Apr 2009

Bark with flattened ridges and shallow furrows that do not continue all the way to the ground.

Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata) Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata)
Person Co., NC
5 June 2011

Bark of older, larger, open-grown tree.

Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata) Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata)
Orange Co., NC
2 Nov 2012

Shape of medium-sized open-grown tree.

Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata) Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata)
Person Co., NC
5 June 2011

Shape of larger open-grown tree.


Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda) Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda)
New Hope Creek bottomlands, Durham Co., NC
24 Oct 2009

Endemic to the southeastern coastal plain of the US, Cherrybark Oak grows in bottomlands in the eastern half of NC.

Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda) Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda)
Sandy Creek bottomlands, Durham Co., NC
10 Oct 2012

Leaf undersides are fuzzy.

Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda) Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda)
New Hope Creek bottomlands, Durham Co., NC
24 Oct 2009

Twigs, buds, and leaf undersides are finely fuzzy.

Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda) Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda)
New Hope Creek bottomlands, Durham Co., NC
24 Oct 2009

Fall buds are reddish.

Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda) Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda)
Sandy Creek bottomlands, Durham Co., NC
10 Oct 2012

Fall buds.

Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda) Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda)
New Hope Creek bottomlands, Durham Co., NC
26 Oct 2009

Bark with vines and a leaf

Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda) Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda)
New Hope Creek bottomlands, Durham Co., NC
26 Oct 2009

Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda) Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda)
New Hope Creek bottomlands, Durham Co., NC
26 Oct 2009

Cherrybark Oak trees may become quite large and majestic in bottomland habitats.


Turkey Oak (Quercus laevis) Turkey Oak (Quercus laevis)
Longleaf Pine flatwoods in the sandhills at Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve, Moore Co., NC
12 Apr 2008

Turkey Oak (Quercus laevis) Turkey Oak (Quercus laevis)
Longleaf Pine flatwoods in the sandhills at Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve, Moore Co., NC
12 Apr 2008

Turkey Oak (Quercus laevis)
Longleaf Pine flatwoods in the sandhills at Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve, Moore Co., NC
20 Apr 2008

Leaves somewhat resemble the outline of a turkey foot, hence the common name.

Turkey Oak (Quercus laevis)
Longleaf Pine flatwoods in the sandhills at Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve, Moore Co., NC
20 Apr 2008

Turkey Oak (Quercus laevis) Turkey Oak (Quercus laevis)
Longleaf Pine flatwoods in the sandhills at Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve, Moore Co., NC
12 Apr 2008

Bark of small-medium tree.


Blackjack Oak (Quercus marilandica) Blackjack Oak (Quercus marilandica)
Sandhills Gamelands in Scotland Co., NC
20 Apr 2008

Leaves are fairly large, very shallowly lobed, and often described as club-shaped with a wide leaf tip narrowing to the leaf base.

Blackjack Oak (Quercus marilandica) Blackjack Oak (Quercus marilandica)
Sandhills Gamelands in Scotland Co., NC
20 Apr 2008

Bark is black and blocky. Blackjack Oaks is a small to medium tree and usually grow on dry, often sandy, nutrient poor soils in NC.


Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
Orange Co., NC
28 Sep 2009

Common in mesic to dry forest habitats, especially on ridges and slopes. Mature tree bark has shallow furrows and flatted ridges "like ski slopes" that go nearly to the base of the tree.

Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
Orange Co., NC
28 Sep 2009

Northern Red Oaks tower through the canopy.


Black Oak (Quercus velutina) Black Oak (Quercus velutina)
Orange Co., NC
9 June 2010

Common statewide in forest with soils slightly dry and/or sandy.

Black Oak (Quercus velutina) Black Oak (Quercus velutina)
Orange Co., NC
2 Nov 2011

Seedling and sapling Black Oaks often have large leaves that are nearly unlobed.

Black Oak (Quercus velutina) Black Oak (Quercus velutina)
Orange Co., NC
2 Nov 2011

Buds are 4-angled and hairy with the hairs often starting reddish and becoming grayish when the buds mature in winter.

Black Oak (Quercus velutina) Black Oak (Quercus velutina)
Orange Co., NC
2 Nov 2011

Acorn caps generally cover about half of the nut. Scales on the caps are shaggy with loose tips.

Black Oak (Quercus velutina) Black Oak (Quercus velutina)
Orange Co., NC
2 Nov 2011

Bark of young tree.

Black Oak (Quercus velutina) Black Oak (Quercus velutina)
Orange Co., NC
2 Nov 2011

Bark of older tree. Note Black Oak bark generally lacks well-defined, flattened ridges, especially near the base of the trunk. The inner bark is orange, and hints of that color can be seen in the furrows.


Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii) Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii)
Little Creek, Durham Co., NC
2 Oct 2011

Rare to uncommon in bottomlands and/or over calcareous soils in NC.

Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii) Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii)
Little Creek, Durham Co., NC
2 Oct 2011

Leaves are shiny, large, and have many lobes with many bristle teeth.

Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii) Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii)
Little Creek, Durham Co., NC
2 Oct 2011

Buds are angled and eventually turn straw-colored. Twigs are pale.

Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii) Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii)
Little Creek, Durham Co., NC
2 Oct 2011

Bark stays relatively smooth, although it becomes fissured with age.


Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
Little Creek, Durham Co., NC
2 Oct 2011

Occurring naturally, Pin Oak is fairly rare and local in bottomlands of the NC piedmont. It's frequently planted as landscape trees along sidewalks and streets however. Leaves are fairly small (~5 inches), shiny, and with deep sinuses.

Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
Little Creek, Durham Co., NC
2 Oct 2011

Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
Little Creek, Durham Co., NC
2 Oct 2011

Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
Little Creek, Durham Co., NC
2 Oct 2011

Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
Little Creek, Durham Co., NC
2 Oct 2011

Lower branches appear messy and swoop downward.

Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
Little Creek, Durham Co., NC
2 Oct 2011

Bark smooth in small trees.

Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
Little Creek, Durham Co., NC
2 Oct 2011

Bark fairly smooth with shallow fissures in medium tree.


Willow Oak (Quercus phellos) Willow Oak (Quercus phellos)
Orange Co., NC
28 Sep 2005

Common in the eastern half of North Carolina, Willow Oak grows in a variety of habitats. It's also commonly planted along streets, parks, and developments in cities.

Willow Oak (Quercus phellos) Willow Oak (Quercus phellos)
Durham Co., NC
11 Apr 2009

Young leaves developing during flowering season.

Willow Oak (Quercus phellos) Willow Oak (Quercus phellos)
Orange Co., NC
28 Sep 2005

Willow Oak (Quercus phellos) Willow Oak (Quercus phellos)
Durham Co., NC
11 Apr 2009

Willow Oak (Quercus phellos) Willow Oak (Quercus phellos)
Durham Co., NC
10 March 2009

When grown in open habitats, Willow Oaks have large, rounded crowns, as seen here on the Duke University campus in late winter.


Diamondleaf Oak, Swamp Laurel Oak (Quercus laurifolia) Swamp Laurel Oak, Diamondleaf Oak (Quercus laurifolia)
Roanoke Island, Dare Co., NC
8 Nov 2012

Found in moist soils, particularly martime forests, in the North Carolina Coastal Plain.

Diamondleaf Oak, Swamp Laurel Oak (Quercus laurifolia) Swamp Laurel Oak, Diamondleaf Oak (Quercus laurifolia)
Roanoke Island, Dare Co., NC
8 Nov 2012

Essentially evergreen, Swamp Laurel Oak leaves are highly variable, often distinctly diamond-shaped.

Diamondleaf Oak, Swamp Laurel Oak (Quercus laurifolia) Swamp Laurel Oak, Diamondleaf Oak (Quercus laurifolia)
Roanoke Island, Dare Co., NC
8 Nov 2012

Mature acorns are often dark and striped.

Diamondleaf Oak, Swamp Laurel Oak (Quercus laurifolia) Swamp Laurel Oak, Diamondleaf Oak (Quercus laurifolia)
Roanoke Island, Dare Co., NC
8 Nov 2012

Twig detail, showing acorns, lenticels, and leaf scars.

Diamondleaf Oak, Swamp Laurel Oak (Quercus laurifolia) Swamp Laurel Oak, Diamondleaf Oak (Quercus laurifolia)
Roanoke Island, Dare Co., NC
8 Nov 2012

Buds are reddish and pointed. Leaves are greenish and at least slightly pubescent underneath.

Diamondleaf Oak, Swamp Laurel Oak (Quercus laurifolia) Swamp Laurel Oak, Diamondleaf Oak (Quercus laurifolia)
Roanoke Island, Dare Co., NC
8 Nov 2012

Diamondleaf Oak, Swamp Laurel Oak (Quercus laurifolia) Swamp Laurel Oak, Diamondleaf Oak (Quercus laurifolia)
Roanoke Island, Dare Co., NC
8 Nov 2012

Diamondleaf Oak, Swamp Laurel Oak (Quercus laurifolia) Swamp Laurel Oak, Diamondleaf Oak (Quercus laurifolia)
Roanoke Island, Dare Co., NC
8 Nov 2012

Vigorous sapling growth.

Diamondleaf Oak, Swamp Laurel Oak (Quercus laurifolia) Swamp Laurel Oak, Diamondleaf Oak (Quercus laurifolia)
Roanoke Island, Dare Co., NC
8 Nov 2012

Bark detail of medium-sized tree.


Shingle Oak (Quercus imbricaria) Shingle Oak (Quercus imbricaria)
Macon Co., NC
12 May 2006

Uncommon to rare in NC in the mountains & piedmont, usually near rivers.

Shingle Oak (Quercus imbricaria)
Macon Co., NC
12 May 2006

Bluejack Oak (Quercus incana) Bluejack Oak (Quercus incana)
Cumberland Co., NC
4 June 2006

Common in the NC sandhills, uncommon elsewhere in the NC coastal plain and southern piedmont.

Bluejack Oak (Quercus incana) Bluejack Oak (Quercus incana)
Scotland Co., NC
20 Apr 2008

Like other oaks, Bluejack Oak puts out catkins of flowers in the spring.

Bluejack Oak (Quercus incana) Bluejack Oak (Quercus incana)
Scotland Co., NC
20 Apr 2008
Bluejack Oak (Quercus incana) Bluejack Oak (Quercus incana)
Scotland Co., NC
20 Apr 2008

Bluejack Oak leaves are blue-ish white underneath.

Bluejack Oak (Quercus incana) Bluejack Oak (Quercus incana)
Scotland Co., NC
20 Apr 2008

Bluejack Oak (Quercus incana) Bluejack Oak (Quercus incana)
Scotland Co., NC
20 Apr 2008

Bark is dark, rough, and often blocky.


Water Oak (Quercus nigra)
Tyrrell Co, NC
10/2/2005

Common in wet areas in the NC piedmont & coastal plain.


Possibly a hybrid Black X Willow or Water Oak
Shinleaf Recreation Area, Falls Lake, Wake Co., NC
25 May 2008
</td> Possibly a hybrid Black X Willow or Water Oak
Shinleaf Recreation Area, Falls Lake, Wake Co., NC
25 May 2008
Possibly a hybrid Black X Willow or Water Oak
Shinleaf Recreation Area, Falls Lake, Wake Co., NC
25 May 2008
Possibly a hybrid Black X Willow or Water Oak
Shinleaf Recreation Area, Falls Lake, Wake Co., NC
25 May 2008

young bark

Possibly a hybrid Black X Willow or Water Oak
Shinleaf Recreation Area, Falls Lake, Wake Co., NC
25 May 2008

older bark


Annotated habitat and distribution information listed above is from Radford, Ahles, & Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. UNC Press; and from personal observations and discussions with Will Cook, Harry LeGrand, and Bob Wilbur. Common names from personal experience and supplemented by the following resources USDA plants website, Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia, and NatureServe.


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Created on May 7, 2006 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com