← Bedfellow

Water Oak

Quercus nigra

Fast-growing southern oak with spatula-shaped leaves that hang on into winter. Heavy crops of small acorns feed wildlife on wet or dry ground alike.

Family

Fagaceae

Type

tree

Lifespan

perennial

Height

50–80 ft

Spacing

40–60 ft apart

Light

part shade

Soil moisture

moist, wet

Soil pH

acidic, neutral

Bloom

March, April, May

Bloom colors

yellow

Wildlife value

songbirds, butterflies, larval host

Caterpillar hosts

~557 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

specimen, rain garden

Native states

AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA