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TURKEY OAK
Quercus laevis Walter
(KWER-kus LEE-vis)
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General:
Growing to about 10 m. (20-30 ft.) high, the Turkey Oak is a scrubby,
deciduous tree associated with Longleaf Pines. It grows on sand
ridges throughout most of Florida. It is characterized by
deeply lobed, bristle tipped leaves. Sometimes referred to as a
scrub oak, it may be called ‘sand black-jack oak’.
One of the red oak group, the acorns mature the second year after they
are formed. The acorns have a bitter taste, but they provide food
for wildlife, including wild turkeys. Because of its small size,
it was mostly used for firewood.
Flowers / Fruit:
Catkins containing pollen form on the branch tips.
The acorns have a wide base and taper to a point. About 2-3 cm (1 in.)
long, they mature the second year after blooming. The cap is covered
with large scales and has rolled edges. It covers about 1/3 of
the nut.
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TURKEY OAK (Quercus laevis)
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Leaves / Stems:
The alternate, simple leaves have 3 to 7 deeply cut lobes. The
ones with 3 lobes resemble a wild turkey track. The main rib of
each leaf extends into a bristle tip. The upper surface is
lustrous (laevis means smooth), but there are small hairs at the vein
axils underneath. The rather short petioles, 1.5 cm (3/8 in.),
twist to allow the leaves to turn at about a 45 degree angle to the
ground in order to slow moisture loss. The red autumn leaves turn
brown and remain on the tree through much of the winter.
The thick bark is dark gray, furrowed and blocky.
Distribution:
Found in dry pinelands from Lake Okeechobee northward to Virginia and west to Louisiana.
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