Bark.—Similar to that of White Oak, but usually rougher and more yellowish.
Wood.—Heavy, hard, close-grained, durable in contact with the soil, brown with thick sapwood.
Range.—New England, where it is a shrub, southward to Florida and Texas, and west to Kansas.
Distribution in West Virginia.—Distributed in nearly all the hilly parts of the State, though nowhere very common and in some sections rare.
Habitat.—Prefers dry sandy or gravelly soil.
Notes.—The Post Oak in winter may easily be mistaken for a White Oak, but in summer and fall the small acorns and the peculiar lobing of the leaves assist the student in distinguishing it from other species. It is not commercially important but should be encouraged to grow on account of the superior lasting qualities of the wood when used for fence posts or otherwise in contact with the soil.
BUR OAK
Quercus macrocarpa, Michx.