Quercus nigra (Native)

Common Name
Water oak
Plant Form
Large Trees
Medium Trees
Duration
Perennial
Max Height (ft)
80.0
Width (ft)
50.0 - 70.0
Growth Rate
Fast
Region
Coastal
Piedmont
Mountain
Hardiness Zone
6, 7, 8, 9

My Native Garden

Put together a printable/downloadable list of plants that you have in your garden.

Photographer: Anne Parker
Licensed under: CC BY-NC 4.0
Original photo: Original photo

Photographer: Anne Parker
Licensed under: CC BY-NC 4.0
Original photo: Original photo

Photographer: Anne Parker
Licensed under: CC BY-NC 4.0
Original photo: Original photo

Habitat

Maritime forests and dune woodlands, dry sandhill woodlands, sandy mesic upland forests, alluvial swamps, floodplain forests, wet flatwoods, depression ponds; also in successional pine-hardwood stands and disturbed habitats. Common in the Coastal Plain north to Accomack, Richmond, and Caroline counties; rare in the outer Piedmont south of the James River.

Wildlife value

Oak trees support a wide variety of Lepidopteran. You may see Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis), Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus), Edward's Hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii), Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), White-M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album), Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) and Juvenal’s Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis) larvae. Acorns are eaten by woodpeckers, blue jays, ducks, small mammals, wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, and black bears.

Poisonous to Humans:
Poison Severity:
Low
Poison Symptoms:

Abdominal pain, constipation then diarrhea (occasionally bloody), depression, frequent urination, discolored urine, jaundice; acorns can obstruct the digestive tract

Causes Contact Dermatitis:
No
Poison Part:
Fruits, Leaves
Also a Problem For:
Horses
Flower Color
Gold/Yellow
Green
Flower Prominence
Reduced
Bloom Time
Spring
Bloom Month
April
Fall Color
Brown/Copper
Light Requirements
Full sun
Moisture Requirements
Average
Soil Texture
Clay
Loamy
Sandy
Deer Resitant
Yes
Seed or Fruit eaten by wildlife?
Yes
Pollinators
Butterfiles
Top 30 for Butterfly and Moth Caterpillars?
Yes
Number of Lepidotera Species Genus Supports
436