Bur Oak
(Quercus macrocarpa)
Also known as Mossy-Cup Oak, Bur Oak is a kind of white oak, native to North America and can be found growing all the way from Anchorage, Alaska to Mission, Texas. It is a long lived tree capable of reaching 400 years old in the best of conditions. It can grow to up to 120 feet tall with equally large spreads but will tend to grow smaller the further north it goes in its planting range. The bark is light grey/brown with deep ridges and furrows. Leaves are dark green and glossy; significantly wider at the end and tapering towards the base. Bur Oaks produce the largest acorns of all the oaks, they can be 1.5 inches long with an oblong form and ½ to ¾ covered by a burr-like cup that gives the tree its common name.
Bur Oak is also the most widely spread of the oak species thanks to its ability to thrive in such a wide range of environmental conditions. It tolerates all soil types including dry, mineral-poor soils as well as wet soils and with wide pH ranges and all different compositions. It is also the best of all the oak trees for urban areas, tolerating poor urban conditions much better than other types of oak. It's long taproot allows it to withstand long periods of drought once established, and it's over-all downward growing roots makes it a good choice for planting near sidewalks and roads. It is one of the most cold tolerant of all the oaks and is also one of the most fire tolerant trees due to the thickness of its bark - even when top killed by fire, they will sprout back vigorously from the base.
Its Uses:
The tree: Bur Oak is an outstanding shade tree and is ideal for urban plantation due to its tolerance of air pollution and salt. Its hardiness and long life make it a popular choice for shelterbelts. Its ability to thrive in poor soils also makes it a great choice for reclamation of degraded sites.
The nuts: Bur oak acorns are not only the largest but also considered to be one of the mildest and best tasting acorns, though the tannins should still ideally be leached out before human consumption. Gather nuts during the fall from September to October. Only gather the ripe tan-to-brown acorns rather than the unripe green ones. To remove bitterness, shell the brown ripe acorns and remove any corky skin layers dice the meat and boil the chunks in water from 15 to 30 minutes until the water turns brown. Then pour off the water and repeat the process until the water clears indicating that the tannic acid has been removed. During the last boiling salt water can be added; then the acorns can be deep fried, mixed in a soup or roasted. To roast, put them in the oven at 375°F for 15–20 minutes for a quick and nutritious snack. To satisfy your sweet tooth, try roasting them with honey or tossing them with cinnamon and sugar after baking. Finely chopped acorn meats can be added to bread doughs and muffin batters. After the leaching process acorn meat can be frozen. To make flour the boiled acorn meat can be dried by slowly baking in an oven at 200°F with the door cracked to allow moisture to escape. Crush or grind and use as a thickener or a flour. Another method is to roast the fresh acorn to work well in a grinder or blender. After grinding place the flour into a cloth bag and boil to leach out bitterness. Leached acorns after they are roasted until brittle can be ground and used as a marginal coffee substitute.
These nuts can also be used to feed wildlife and pigs.
The wood: Bur oak is a valuable timber tree, with its wood prized for cabinetry, barrels, fence posts, beams, boards, railroad ties, furniture, and flooring. The trees can also be coppiced for a renewable wood source.
Bur Oak is also the most widely spread of the oak species thanks to its ability to thrive in such a wide range of environmental conditions. It tolerates all soil types including dry, mineral-poor soils as well as wet soils and with wide pH ranges and all different compositions. It is also the best of all the oak trees for urban areas, tolerating poor urban conditions much better than other types of oak. It's long taproot allows it to withstand long periods of drought once established, and it's over-all downward growing roots makes it a good choice for planting near sidewalks and roads. It is one of the most cold tolerant of all the oaks and is also one of the most fire tolerant trees due to the thickness of its bark - even when top killed by fire, they will sprout back vigorously from the base.
Its Uses:
The tree: Bur Oak is an outstanding shade tree and is ideal for urban plantation due to its tolerance of air pollution and salt. Its hardiness and long life make it a popular choice for shelterbelts. Its ability to thrive in poor soils also makes it a great choice for reclamation of degraded sites.
The nuts: Bur oak acorns are not only the largest but also considered to be one of the mildest and best tasting acorns, though the tannins should still ideally be leached out before human consumption. Gather nuts during the fall from September to October. Only gather the ripe tan-to-brown acorns rather than the unripe green ones. To remove bitterness, shell the brown ripe acorns and remove any corky skin layers dice the meat and boil the chunks in water from 15 to 30 minutes until the water turns brown. Then pour off the water and repeat the process until the water clears indicating that the tannic acid has been removed. During the last boiling salt water can be added; then the acorns can be deep fried, mixed in a soup or roasted. To roast, put them in the oven at 375°F for 15–20 minutes for a quick and nutritious snack. To satisfy your sweet tooth, try roasting them with honey or tossing them with cinnamon and sugar after baking. Finely chopped acorn meats can be added to bread doughs and muffin batters. After the leaching process acorn meat can be frozen. To make flour the boiled acorn meat can be dried by slowly baking in an oven at 200°F with the door cracked to allow moisture to escape. Crush or grind and use as a thickener or a flour. Another method is to roast the fresh acorn to work well in a grinder or blender. After grinding place the flour into a cloth bag and boil to leach out bitterness. Leached acorns after they are roasted until brittle can be ground and used as a marginal coffee substitute.
These nuts can also be used to feed wildlife and pigs.
The wood: Bur oak is a valuable timber tree, with its wood prized for cabinetry, barrels, fence posts, beams, boards, railroad ties, furniture, and flooring. The trees can also be coppiced for a renewable wood source.
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Bur Oak Seedling
$29.00 - $39.00
Only a few left!
The common name (bur) is in reference to the cap-covered acorn. It has the largest acorns of all native oaks. Acorns mature in one growing season and drop from the tree August through November.
Please note: These trees must be picked up in mid to late April which is a different pick up time from most of our other bareroot trees.