Shingle Oak

Scientific Name: Quercus imbricaria

Family: Fagaceae

Origin: Midwest and Upper Southeast US

Shingle Oak

Why is it called Shingle Oak? In the past its wood was used to make roof shingles by early American settlers. The species name imbricaria comes from the Latin word imbricatus, which means overlapping

Common Names: Shingle Oak, Laurel Oak, Small-Leaved Oak

Mature Height: 60 feet

Mature Width/Spread: 70 feet

Leaves: Simple, non-lobed, oblong, alternate leaves that are 4-6 inches long and 1-2 inches wide. The top surface is dark green and the undersurface is covered with fine white hairs. The leaves of Shingle Oak trees are not easily recognized as oak trees because their leaves do not resemble those of other oak trees.

In the fall, the leaves become: yellow, red, reddish-brown

Historical tidbit: Native Americans used the bark for medicine

Did you know …

  • It can reach up to 100 feet in the wild.
  • The top half of the 5/8-inch-long acorn that these trees grow is covered by a cap of reddish-brown scales.
  • The acorns are usually eaten by wildlife only when food supplies are short because they have a bitter taste. They are eaten by squirrels and some birds.
Shingle Oak Leaves, Acorns, & Bark

Sources

http://forestry.ohiodnr.gov/shingleoak

http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Wood_Species_Useful_for_Shingles.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_imbricaria

https://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-plant-descriptions/shingle-oak

https://www.uky.edu/hort/Shingle-Oak

Photo Credit

Photos courtesy of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Tree species information from http://forestry.ohiodnr.gov/trees.

PAGE INFORMATION WAS COMPILED AS PART OF NOAH WERNING’S 2020 EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT.