Quercus stellata

Common Names

Post Oak, Iron Oak, Cross Oak

Summary

Post Oak (Quercus stellata) is a deciduous oak in the white oak group native to the south and eastern United States, it typically grows 40–50 feet tall with a dense, rounded crown and twisty branches, leaves are 4–8 inches long and 3–4 inches wide, leathery and dark green with 3–5 lobes forming a cross-like Maltese cross shape, acorns are oval up to 3/4 inch long, bark is gray to light reddish-brown, it is drought-tolerant, prefers full sun and well-drained soils, and thrives on dry uplands with soils ranging from clay to sand, wood is very hard and durable, used for fence posts, lumber, flooring, and fuel, and the tree provides wildlife forage and shelter through acorns and nesting sites in older limbs, hardy in USDA zones 5–9, Post Oak grows slowly to moderately and prefers full sun with well-drained soils, tolerating a wide range from clay to sand and acidic to neutral pH, it is generally pest resistant, requires low maintenance, and benefits from pruning every 3–5 years to maintain shape, propagation is by seed, acorns provide wildlife forage, and the durable wood is used for fence posts, lumber, flooring, and fuel, in landscapes it serves as a shade tree, specimen, or reclamation plant and supports wildlife habitats

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

35-50 feet

Spread

35-50 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 5-9

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Full Sun, tolerates Partial Shade.

Soil Type

Well-drained loamy soil

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soils

Soil pH

Mildly acidic to mildly alkaline soils; no defined numeric ideal.

Bloom Color

Yellow-green (male catkins) and reddish (female spikes)

Bloom Time

Spring (March–May)

Foliage Color

Dark green on the upper surface with a paler underside.

Fall Foliage Color

Copper

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Slow-growing, with ten-year diameter growth generally less than 5 cm (2 inches).

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Fall

Propagation Methods

Seeds, semi-ripe cuttings, vegetative sprouting from stumps and roots

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts butterflies, birds, and other pollinators