Post Oaks

Post oaks (Quercus stellata) are deciduous and completely lose their leafs in the fall. Two weeks ago, the post oaks  were still bare. You could see little leaf buds forming, but there was no green. Now they've turning green and have developed flowers too. They don't all turn green together, though. I've seen some in the neighborhood that are still bare.

The wood is often sold as white oak and is used for railroad ties, posts, and in construction. They are the most common oak in Texas and the acorns are an important food source for deer, squirrels, and wild turkey. They are very drought-tolerant but are susceptible to oak wilt.

We're lucky to have many on our property and there are 3 large specimens right near our house. This one is to the east and we can see it out our kitchen window. I think it's about 35 feet tall. Right now, with the leaf growth just starting, you can still see the trunk and branches. Once it's fully leafed-out, only the main trunk near the ground will be visible. The trunk is about 2 feet in diameter.

In this closeup of the flowers and leaves, you can see the new leaves already have their distinctive multi-lobed shape. The lobes are round and fairly pronounced. These new leaves are still small, only a couple of inches long. The mature leaves can be the size of your hand. The flower strings are quite long, especially compared to the live oaks in the previous post. These are about 3 inches long. You can also see remnants of last year's crop of acorns.

I think the post oaks may be my favorite. I like their height and overall shape. They can exhibit a beautiful fall color and the bare trunks in winter are quite striking.