LEAVES: Alternate, simple, 4″-6″ long. to 4″ wide, with 5-7 narrow, bristle-tipped lobes, sinuses between the lobes deep (over half-way to the mid-rib) and rounded at the base; leaf surfaces smooth , shining above and paler below with tufts of hairs in the vein-axils .
TWIGS : Dark brown-red, shiny, slender , often thorn-like sides shoots which give this species its popular name. Buds smooth, reddish brown. Lower branches grow at a descending angle, middle branches are horizontal,the upper ascending .
FRUIT: An acorn, round about %” in diameter, light brown, often striped with dark lines. Acorn cup thin, saucer- shaped, enclosing about 1/3 of the nut; cup scales tight, with a dark margin.
Ripens in two seasons .
BARK: Light gray-brown , smooth for many years, old trunks with shallow fissures and narrow flat ridges.
GENERAL: Wild Pin oaks are typically found in wet sites growing to 60′ high. It is often planted as a street tree because of its beautiful form and ability to withstand the low oxygen content of urban soils. The acorns are valuable wildlife food for wetland birds and mammals. The wood is not as valuable as other oaks because in drying, it tends to warp and split.
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