This oak has leaves similar to a Chestnut tree. They are leathery with the underside covered in soft hairs. Lovely scarlet-red fall color. A large and fairly fast growing oak with scaly bark. Magnificent in old age! Large, sweet acorns loved by wildlife and livestock. Grows naturally in wet areas and can survive continuous flooding. New root pruning and fertilization techniques in nursery production have made oaks easier to transplant and have given them faster growth rates. Special usage: timber. Red-banded hairstreak butterfly caterpillars feed on decaying sumac leaves and oak litter.
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.