Black oak

Black oak (Quercus velutina) is a deciduous tree of the red oak group. In the northern part of its range, black oak is a relatively small tree, reaching a height of 20 meters and a diameter of 90 centimeters, but it grows larger in the south.

The leaves of the black oak are alternately arranged on the twig and are 10-20 centimeters long with 5-7 bristle tipped lobes separated by deep U-shaped notches. The upper surface of the leaf is a shiny deep green, the lower is yellowish-brown.

The fruits or acorns of the black oak are small and almost as wide as they are long. The upper half of the nut is covered by a cap of loose scales that often form a fringe around the acorn.

The inner bark of the black oak contains a yellow pigment called quercitron, which was sold commercially in Europe until the 1940s.