Flowering Trees & Shrubs Codexery

Quercus macrocarpa

A large, slow-growing oak with the largest acorns of any North American oak.

Last updated

The species is accepted under the name Quercus macrocarpa Michx. in the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy.[1] The deciduous tree Quercus macrocarpa can achieve a height of 30 m, with exceptional specimens reaching 50 m, and its trunk diameter can be as large as 10 ft.[2] During its youth, this oak species expands at a rate of 12 inches annually, marking it as one of the more slow-growing oaks.[3]

Scientific classification

  1. CladeTracheophytes
  2. CladeAngiosperms
  3. CladeEudicots
  4. CladeRosids
  5. OrderFagales
  6. FamilyFagaceae
  7. GenusQuercus
  8. GenusQuercus
  9. SpeciesQuercus macrocarpa

Named by Michx.

Close relatives

Other species of Quercus with a Codexery entry.

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Quercus macrocarpa (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Conservation status

Least Concern (LC)

  1. LC▲ this species
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX
Population trend
Not held in our sources — see the assessment
Assessment published
2015

Source: IUCN Red List assessment · GBIF copy of the Red List category

How big is it?

Size comparison: Quercus macrocarpa and a personA 0.05 m long quercus macrocarpa drawn to scale next to a 1.8 m tall person. Schematic shapes, not a likeness.0.05 m1.8 m

Largest length in the source, 0.05 m, next to a 1.8 m person.

Diagram: drawn by Codexery, schematic shapes to scale (not a likeness). Length: Wikipedia: Quercus macrocarpa

Biology and range

Quercus macrocarpa is widespread from the Atlantic coastal plain from New Brunswick to North Carolina, west as far as Alberta, eastern Montana, Wyoming, and northeastern New Mexico.[4] Leaf dimensions for this species range from 7 to 15 cm in length and 5 to 13 cm in width, featuring margins that are lobed and a form that varies.[2] Catkins that are greenish-yellow in color appear as the flowers during the spring season.[2] The acorns measure between 2.5 and 5 cm in length and 2 to 4 cm in width; they are quite large and are partially enveloped by a substantial cup.[2]

A lifespan of 200 to 300 years is common for bur oaks, with some individuals surviving as long as 400 years.[5] A gray coloration and prominent vertical ridges characterize the bark.[5] Among all North American oaks, the bur oak has the most northerly distribution.[4] Its ability to withstand drought is likely due to a long taproot.[4]

What the specialist sources record

GBIF holds 36,016 occurrence records for this taxon as of 16 October 2026.[1] According to the Randy Stewart Landscape Design account, nurseries grow Quercus macrocarpa for planting in gardens, parks, and along city sidewalks.[6][7] The same source reports that it tolerates chinook winds in Calgary and thrives in the cold conditions of Banff.[6][7]

References

  1. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence index, Quercus macrocarpa (taxon key 2878213). CC BY 4.0 (backbone); counts are facts. gbif.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Quercus macrocarpa" (CC BY-SA 4.0) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Quercus macrocarpa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Houser, "Tree Species Profiles: Top Rated Shade Trees, Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)", Arborilogical Services, Inc., 19 April 2013 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Quercus macrocarpa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Stein, "Field Guide to Native Oak Species of Eastern North America", USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team, 2001 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Quercus macrocarpa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Quercus macrocarpa", Eastern OLDLIST, 2010; (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. https://rslandscapedesign.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-oaks.html Randy Stewart Landscape Design: The Oaks, Part 1. facts only, no text reused. rslandscapedesign.blogspot.com
  7. Wikipedia, "Quercus macrocarpa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: https://rslandscapedesign.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-oaks.html Randy Stewart Landscape Design: The Oaks, Part 1 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Quercus macrocarpa (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

Related entries

Named in this entry

Oak

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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