Post oak

Post oak
Quercus stellata

Post oak is a slow-growing deciduous oak with stout branches that often form a dense, spreading, round-topped crown. Recognizable by its leaves, which take the shape of a Maltese cross, it grows on a variety of soils and sites. Its heartwood is very heavy, hard, close-grained, and durable in contact with the soil. Its wide use for fence posts is the origin of its common name.

Post oak leaves are deeply divided into 5 lobes by broad sinuses. The central-lateral lobes are roughly squared off at the ends. Its acorn is oval-shaped.