Buds: Nearly smooth, one-fourth inch long, ovoid, reddish-brown.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades 3-9 inches long, slightly tapering or usually cut nearly straight across at the base, with 2-4 pairs of bristle-tipped lobes usually cut over half-way to the mid-vein, deep green and shiny on the upper surface at maturity; leafstalks smooth, up to 3 inches long.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate on same tree, appearing as the leaves unfold, inconspicuous, the staminate crowded in a catkin, the pistillate solitary or 2-3 together.
Fruit: Ripening in October of the second year, on very short stalks; acorns longer than broad, short-pointed at the base, about ½ inch across, the cup bowl-shaped covering ⅓ to ½ of the acorn.
Wood: Heavy, hard, strong, pale brown.
Uses: Shingles and interior finishings.
Habitat: Dry upland woods, often where Black Oak occurs.
Range: Northwestern Ohio and central Michigan to southeastern Minnesota, south to eastern Iowa and north-central Illinois.
Distinguishing Features: The elongated acorn of the Hill’s Oak distinguishes it from pin oak, which it closely resembles.
