This useful tree is pyramidal in youth then becomes more of an oblong-oval as it matures. Bright green leaves shaped like beefy willow leaves turn yellow, yellow-brown and russet red in fall. Acorns form in late summer and provide food for wildlife. 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.