Shingle Oak

The Shingle Oak (Quercus imbricaria) is a large-sized shade tree. Its form is more pyramidal when young but matures to have a symmetrical canopy with a conical rounded crown, upright upper branches, and wide spreading, sometimes drooping lower branches. Its foliage is glossy dark green and paler on the undersides with inconsistent fall color but sometimes turning handsome shades of yellow-brown to red-brown. These leaves can make it hard to distinguish this tree as an oak because they are unlobed as opposed to most oak species. The bark is brownish-gray and develops shallow furrowing and ridging with age. 

The Shingle Oak is native to the central and eastern United States from Pennsylvania down to Georgia and over to Wisconsin, eastern Kansas, and Arkansas. It can be found growing in the wild in upland dry woods, prairies, slopes, along streams, and bottomlands. This tree can serve many purposes as it is a suitable specimen shade tree on sidewalks, in urban or suburban parks, yards, or can be pruned to be a hedge or screen. It grows well in a wide range of conditions. Does best in full to partial sun and is adaptable to most soils but should be watered somewhat regularly until established.