Of special note are the tough little branchlets that cover the limbs. Over time, the downturned lower branches become pendulous and will sway in the slightest breeze. Below that, the thick middle branches are horizontal, and the lowest branches hang down, sweeping away from the trunk. The Pin Oak has a significant presence in the landscape, especially in winter. Like all Oaks, the bark is particularly attractive. The outstanding color lasts for nearly a month.Īfter fall color, the Pin Oaks leaves will persist on the tree often through winter unless blown off by heavy winter storms. The Pin Oak tree is highly prized for its brilliant fall display of red and deep-bronze color. As beautiful as the Pin Oak tree is all summer long, autumn brings even more appeal. The summer leaves cast a dense, delicious shade. This distinguishes it from other Northern Oak trees and grants it a unique appearance. You'll love the Pin Oak's leaves larger, U-shaped opening between the lobes and bristle tips. Pin Oak tree in autumn works so beautifully as an accent for harvest season. That incredible fall color pretty much seals the deal, doesn't it? The gleaming dark green leaves of summer turn a deep range of russet, bronze, and barn red. The Pin Oak has a lot of admirable qualities, but honestly. Pin Oak grows about 24 inches a year and becomes an elegant shade tree. Squirrels also enjoy the acorns.One of the most popular Northern Oaks, the Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) is a fast-growing shade tree, especially while young. In addition, the Pin Oak provides nesting habitat for birds.

They are enjoyed by white-breasted nuthatches, blue jays, tufted titmice, and woodpeckers. The small rounded acorns of the Pin Oak measures between 1/4 to 3/4 of an inch, and are especially valuable to birds as a food source. These newly-fallen dried leaves quickly begin to decompose, providing organic material during a time of high nutrient demand as the tree leafs out. Leaves lasting through the winter start to fall in the early Spring as new buds begin to grow. By holding onto the leaves the tree limits its exposure to disease and it may help the tree keep its winter energy reserves high.

When a leaf falls a tiny wound is created when the leaf stem separates from the branch. There are several theories about why this may be beneficial to the tree. These marcescent leaves are withered but remain attached to the stem. Some of the leaves of the Pin Oak persist on the branches through the winter. The female flowers eventually become acorns, but to become full-sized and ripen they require two growing seasons. The female flowers are fertilized when wind transports pollen from male catkins. Male and female flowers appear separately but on the same branch in the spring. Male flowers occur in long drooping catkins and female flowers are greenish-red and minute. Looking at the major vein junctions on the underside of the leaves reveals tufts of hair. The Autumn leaf coloration of the Pin Oak is variable, leaves can become yellow, bronze, red, or brown. It is considered a multilayered tree because of the way small leaves are arranged from branch to branch to cast less of a shadow, allowing considerable space for light to penetrate between the leaves of the branches above. The deeply-lobed bristle-tipped leaves the Pin Oak are important to this tree’s ability to maximize sunlight exposure to the leaf surface. When young, the overall form of the tree is pyramidal, but as it matures it assumes an upright oval form and can look like a gumdrop. Pin Oaks typically form a straight trunk with the ridges of bark becoming rougher and breaking into irregular segments with age. Our Pin Oak trunk exhibits scars that indicate that the lower branches may have been trimmed away so that visitors of Bayne Park could easily walk beneath the tree canopy unobstructed by downward angled branches. The branching of the Pin Oak is distinctive as its upper branches point upward, while its middle branches reach out horizontally, and the lower branches tend to angle downward.

Pin oak leaves