English: Bur oak or mossycup oak
Ojibwe: mitigominzh
Spanish: Roble bur
Natural history
Bur oak is a deciduous tree native to the United States and Canada east of the Rocky Mountains. It is among the most drought resistant oaks of North America and though not native to Colorado, is commonly used as a landscaping tree along streets and in yards. Oaks tend to readily hybridize but instances of hybridization between Q. macrocarpa and Q. gambelii have been reported as an unusual occurrence, as the native ranges of these two oak species do not naturally overlap. The leaves of bur oak grow alternately along the stem, have rounded lobe edges, and are moderately to deeply lobed with middle lobes usually being deepest.
Quercus macrocarpa, which means “large-fruit oak,” and indeed produces the largest acorns of any native North American oak. These large acorns provide an important food source for many animal species, such as squirrels, ducks, and deer.
Human history and use
Oak acorns have been an important food source for many Indigenous Peoples throughout North America and are processed to produce meal for breads, cakes, and porridge. Acorns contain high concentrations of astringent tannins and all but the most palatable varieties must be soaked in water (a process called leaching) or roasted before eating. Being native to eastern North America, bur oak has historically been used by Indigenous Peoples such as the Cheyenne, Dakota, Chippewa, Ojibwa, and Lakota. Medicinal uses of oak species are numerous, but its essential astringent quality due to its high tannin content makes oak generally useful for treating abrasions, burns, and gastrointestinal problems.
References:
Burns, R. M. and B. H. Honkala. 1990. Silvics of North America. Retrieved from Silvics Manual Volume 1-Conifers and Volume 2-Hardwoods: https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/table_of_contents.htm (2024, November 16)
Dirr, M. 2009. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants: Their identification, ornamental characteristics, culture, propagation and uses, 6th edition. Stipes Publishing LLC, Champaign, IL.
Moerman DE. 1998. Native American Ethnobotany. Portland, OR: Timber Press.
Moore, Michael. 2003. Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West. Santa Fe: Museum of New Mexico Press.
Nixon, K. C. and C. H. Muller. 1997. Quercus Linnaeus sect. Quercus. White Oaks. Pages 471–506 in Flora of North America Editorial Committee [eds.] Flora of North America North of Mexico, Vol. 3. Oxford University Press, New York.
Photo credit:
Photos by Mike Jacob.