Native Plant Database

Header Photo: Mervin Wallace

Overcup Oak

Quercus lyrata
Plant Type: Trees
Native Environment: Stream Edge, Wetland
Season of Interest: Late (July - frost), Winter (Nov - Mar)
Main Color: Green
Fall Color: Yellow

USDA PLANTS Range Map

At the range map link above, zoom in for county-level data

Sun Exposure 
Full Sun, Medium Sun/Average Shade
Soil
Moisture
Moderate, High
Nature Attracting
Wildlife Benefit
Butterfly / Moth Host, Cover, Food/Birds, Food/Small Animals, Nesting
Animal
Resistance
Size

Height:

45 to
80
feet

Spread:

40 to
60
feet
Size
Height: 45 to
80
feet
Spread: 40 to
60
feet
Size
Height: 45 to
80
feet
Spread: 40 to
60
feet
Typical Landscape Use
Good large tree for wet sites, low lying areas.
Establishment and Care Instructions
Very tolerant of flooding, great for low areas. Adaptable to many soils. Mulch with its own leaves to re-create a forest-like situation and encourage the right conditions for spring ephemerals.Prune in winter or early spring.
Special Features
Interesting Bark, Nuts
Special Usage
Salt Tolerant
Basic Description

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.

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Where Can I Find This Plant in Nature?

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