Uses: Fence posts, fuel, general construction.
Habitat: Dry woods; dry bluffs.
Range: Massachusetts across to Kansas, south to Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The 3 squarish lobes at the upper end of the thick leaves distinguish the Post Oak.
BLACK OAK
Quercus velutina Lam.
Other Name: Yellow-bark Oak.
Growth Form: Large tree up to 80 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3½ feet; crown broadly rounded or oblong, with spreading branches; trunk straight, columnar, scarcely buttressed at the base.
Bark: Black, with a yellow or orange inner bark, deeply furrowed.
Twigs: Slender or rather stout, reddish-brown to dark brown; pith star-shaped in cross-section; leaf scars alternate but clustered near the tip, half-round, slightly elevated, with several bundle traces.