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Shingle Oak

Quercus imbricaria

Shingle oak is unusual among oaks for its smooth, unlobed laurel-like leaves, many held coppery through winter. Adaptable and tolerant of pruning, it makes an excellent large hedge or screen as well as a shade tree. Its acorns are traditional food once the bitter tannins are leached out and the seed ground into flour.

Family

Fagaceae

Type

tree

Lifespan

perennial

Height

40–60 ft

Spacing

40–60 ft apart

Light

sun

Soil moisture

moist

Soil pH

acidic

Bloom

March, April, May

Bloom colors

yellow

Wildlife value

butterflies, pollinators, mammals, songbirds, larval host

Caterpillar hosts

~557 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

specimen

Native states

AL, AR, DC, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, VA, WI, WV