Turkey Oak

Quercus laevis

Size: 3 Gallon Availability

Tree
Max size: 40’ tall x 15’ wide
Average size: 30′ tall x 10′ wide

Moist to Dry, Very Dry
Sand
Sun, Part Shade
No Salt Tolerance

This slow-growing tree is deciduous, with a red fall color and inconspicuous spring blooms. Its acorns mature in the fall, and are edible if you process them correctly. It is slow-growing and has strong wood and a deep taproot that makes it resistant to hurricane winds. It is particularly beneficial for wildlife; woodpeckers use the wood and the acorns are eaten by wild turkey, deer, raccoons, and many other animals. It is a larval host plant for Horace’s duskywing (Erynnis horatius), red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops) and white-M hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album) butterflies).

The bark of the oak can be used to make dyes and paints. The barks and galls have also long been used to create a permanent ink. Oak medicines are incredibly varied; they contain tannin, which has been shown to be antiviral, antiseptic, and antitumor; various Indigenous practices worldwide have ascribed medicinal uses to various parts of the tree.