← Bedfellow

Blackjack Oak

Quercus marilandica

Blackjack oak is a small, rugged oak that colonizes the poorest dry clay and sand, with distinctive broad, bell-shaped leaves and blackish bark. Exceptionally drought-tough and a reliable wildlife oak on hardpan soils. Its acorns have served as food in times of scarcity, ground into flour once the bitter tannins are leached out.

Family

Fagaceae

Type

tree

Lifespan

perennial

Height

20–40 ft

Spacing

20–40 ft apart

Light

part shade

Soil moisture

dry, moist

Soil pH

acidic

Bloom

March, April, May

Bloom colors

white, red, green

Wildlife value

songbirds, butterflies, larval host

Caterpillar hosts

~557 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

naturalizing

Native states

AL, AR, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV