Virginia Tech Dendrology

shingle oak Fagaceae Quercus imbricaria Michx. symbol: QUIM
Leaf: Alternate, simple, 3 to 7 inches long, broadly lanceolate, unlobed with a single, terminal bristle-tip, somewhat leathery, shiny dark green above and paler and fuzzy below.
Flower: Species is monoecious; male flowers borne on hanging slender catkins; females borne on short spikes, appearing with the leaves in spring.
Fruit: Acorns are 5/8 inch long, 1/3 to 1/2 covered by a thin, bowl-shaped cap with appressed light brown scales, matures in the fall after two years.
Twig: Slender, olive-green to orange-brown, quite lustrous with conical, pointed, red-brown buds.
Bark: Gray-brown, tight and quite hard, with broad, irregular ridges and very shallow furrows.
Form: A medium sized tree to 70 feet with pyramidal to oval and later rounded crown. Lateral lower branches often droop.
Looks like: willow oak - laurel oak - Darlington oak - bluejack oak

Additional Range Information: Quercus imbricaria is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
More Information: Fall Color
External Links: USDA Plants Database - Horticulture Information
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information