Campus Tree Tour
Fagaceae – Beech Family
In 2024, this bluff oak measured 80 feet tall and had a diameter of 20 inches. Based on USDA Forest Service models, it will absorb approximately 2,606 lbs. of carbon over the next 20 years. Put simply, this tree alone will offset up to 10,545 car miles worth of carbon dioxide.
See all species on our Campus Tree Tour.
Introduction
The bluff oak has a natural range limited to the Southeastern United States, closely resembling another oak species, the white oak (Quercus alba). Both trees share a flaky white bark, but the bluff oak is unique for its shallowly lobed leaves. This species grows naturally in wet habitats, such as river bluffs, and the mature acorns serve as a food source for birds and squirrels.
Physical Description
Life expectancy: Up to 300 years
Height: 40 – 60 feet, up to 90 feet
Crown: 35 – 50 feet
Diameter: Up to 48 inches
Bark: Light tan to grey, shallow, and flaky with broad ridges.
Leaves: Deciduous, simple, and alternately arranged upon the stem. Edges are smooth and shallowly lobed with no pointed tips. The top surface is dark green, and underneath is lighter green with some pubescence (hairs).
Twigs: Has a cluster of buds at the terminal end of the twig, a distinguishing characteristic of oaks.
Flowers: Yellow-green catkins (male flowers) and small spike flowers (female) are produced in the spring.
Fruits: Small brown acorns (1/2 – ¾ inch) with a bowl-shaped cap with brown scales that cover the top 1/3 of the nut. Mature during mid to late fall.
Key Identification Characteristics: bark, shallowly lobed leaves, terminal buds
Past and Present Uses
Occasionally used in flooring and furniture, the bluff oak has limited commercial value since the species does not naturally grow in abundance.
Currently, the bluff oak is used as a high-quality landscape tree since it is attractive, tough, and adaptable to urban environments. When planted in an urban setting, it grows well in parking lots and along streets and boulevards with plenty of sun.
Ecological Importance
Origin: Native to the United States
Native Range: Found in the Southeastern United States from North Carolina south to Florida, and west to Mississippi (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Native range of Bluff Oak. Photo credit: U.S. Geological Survey.
The bluff oak grows best in well-drained, rich bottomland soils on elevated sites that overlook ravines, streams, and river bluffs. It is also found on mesic, hardwood areas with limited salt content and no long-term flooding. This oak is commonly associated with hardwood species such as white oak, hickories, eastern cottonwood, sweetgum, and yellow-poplar.
Bluff oak acorns have high ecological value as a food source for small mammals and various birds. Occasionally, yellow-bellied sapsuckers will drill rows of holes in the bark that give them and insects access to the oak’s sap for food. Since the bluff oak is a long-lived species, its canopy is used as a home for nesting species, and many butterflies and moths use the tree to host their larvae.
More Information
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ST542
References
Florida Native Plant Society (FNPS). (n.d.). Quercus austrina. https://www.fnps.org/plant/quercus-austrina
i-Tree. (2006). Tree tools - calculate the benefits of trees!. i-Tree. https://www.itreetools.org/
Quercus austrina. North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. (n.d.). https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/quercus-austrina/
NC State Extension. (n.d.). Acer saccharum subsp. floridanum. North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/acer-saccharum-subsp-floridanum/