Overcup oak has large, dark green, lobed leaves that are almost white underneath. Fall color is rich yellow-brown to brown and the leaves fall much earlier than other oaks. The acorns are almost completely hidden by the cap (“cup”). Similar bark to the White Oak, gray and fissured. One of the most flood tolerant oaks. New root pruning and fertilization techniques in nursery production have made oaks easier to transplant and have given them faster growth rates. Red-banded hairstreak butterfly caterpillars feed on decaying sumac
Oak species, as a group, serve as host plants for caterpillars of more than 500 different kinds of butterflies and moths. This is more than any other genus of tree. The caterpillars (larvae) feed on foliage, but without harming the trees. Oaks are vitally important in supporting nature’s web of life. leaves and oak litter.