Fruit Characteristics: large acorn to two inches around with fringed cup
Height: 60 to 70 feet
Width: 60 to 70 feet
Heat Tolerance: very high - high
Water Requirements: medium low
Soil Requirements: adaptable
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3
Bur Oak
Bur Oak, Mossycup Oak, Mossy Overcup Oak, Prairie Oak (Quercus macrocarpa), Fagaceae (white oak group)
Bur Oak is a majestic tree of the tallgrass prairie that once covered central North America. It grows best in deep limestone soils of riverbanks and valleys, but it will adapt to many different environments. It has a long taproot which makes it hard to transplant but also very drought-tolerant. It is also fast growing and long-lived. Bur Oak is noted for its very large leaves and acorns. The leaves are from one half to one foot long, and acorns can be as large as two inches long and wide, enclosed in a cup with fringe on the edge. It casts deep shade.