blackjack oak
Quercus marilandica
Its wood is incredibly dense and heavy; historically, it was highly prized as a fuel source for charcoal production and to make durable railway ties.
- Scientific name
- Quercus marilandica
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Fagales › Fagaceae › Quercus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Dry, sterile, sandy or heavy clay soils, oak-pine barrens, rocky ridges, and open savannas.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (Photosynthesis)
- Range
- Eastern United States, Central United States, Gulf Coast region
- Size
- 5 to 15 meters tall, often with a stunted, gnarled form and a compact crown.
- Lifespan
- 100-150 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Fire suppression (which leads to canopy closure and shading by faster-growing trees), oak wilt disease, and habitat fragmentation due to urban sprawl.
- Safe to approach?
- This species is completely harmless to humans. You can safely approach, touch, and study it. Note that its acorns contain high concentrations of bitter tannins and should not be consumed raw, though they are safe to handle.
Quercus marilandica ( blackjack oak ) is a small oak, one of the red oak group Quercus sect. Lobatae . It is native to the eastern and central United States, from Long Island to Florida, west as far as Texas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska. There are reports of a few isolated populations in southern Michigan, but these appear to represent introductions.
Photo: Douglas Goldman, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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