Post Oak

Quercus stellata

The Post Oak is found scattered over northern Florida, often in dry woods and on the poorer soils. This tree commonly reaches a height of 50 feet, or rarely 80 feet, and a trunk diameter of one to two feet.

The bark is rougher and darker than the White Oak and broken into smaller scales. The stout young twigs and leaves are coated at first with a dense, light-colored fuzz, which soon becomes darker and later wears away entirely.

Alternative leaves are usually four to seven inches long and nearly as broad, with three similar upper lobes, and a smaller pair of lobes near the base. The shape is basically cross-like. The leaves are somewhat leathery, dark green and rough on the upper surface, lighter green and hairy beneath, at least along the main veins.

The flowers, like those of the other oaks, are of two kinds on the same tree. Males flowers are in clustered catkins; the females, solitary and inconspicuous. The fruit is an oval acorn, one-half to one inch long, with the nut set in a rather small cup which may or may not be stalked.

The wood is very heavy, close-grained, light to dark brown, and durable in contact with the soil. It has been used for cross-ties and fence posts, as well as for furniture and cabinetry.

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Tree information provided with permission of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for more information visit https://www.fdacs.gov/.