Cherrybark oak

Quercus falcata Michaux var. leucophylla (Ashe) E. J. Palmer & Steyermark; Q. falcata var. pagodifolia Elliott; Q. leucophylla Ashe; Q. pagodifolia (Elliott) Ashe

Trees , deciduous, to 40 m. Bark nearly black with narrow and noticeably flaky ridges, often resembling that of wild black cherry, inner bark orange. Twigs yellowish brown, 2-3.5 mm diam., pubescent. Terminal buds light reddish brown, ovoid, 4-9 mm, strongly 5-angled in cross section, puberulent throughout. Leaves: petiole 20-50 mm, glabrate or pubescent. Leaf blade ovate to elliptic or obovate, 90-300 × 60-160 mm, base cuneate to rounded or truncate, margins with 5-11 lobes and 10-25 awns, lobes oblong, rarely falcate, terminal lobe rarely exceeding lateral lobes in length, apex acute; surfaces abaxially pale, tomentose, adaxially glossy, glabrous, secondary veins raised on both surfaces. Acorns biennial; cup saucer-shaped to cup-shaped, 3-7 mm high × 10-18 mm wide, covering 1/3-1/2 nut, outer surface puberulent, inner surface pubescent, scale tips tightly appressed, acute; nut subglobose, 9-15 × 8-16 mm, often striate, puberulent, scar diam. 5-9 mm.

Flowering spring. Poorly drained bottoms and mesic slopes; 0-300 m; Ala., Ark., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Ky., La., Miss., Mo., N.C., Okla., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Va.

Quercus pagoda is often treated as a variety of Q . falcata ; it is quite distinctive, however, both morphologically and ecologically (S. A. Ware 1967; R. J. Jensen 1989).

This species reportedly hybridizes with Q . falcata and Q . phellos (D. M. Hunt 1989).