Virginia Tech Dendrology

bluejack oak Fagaceae Quercus incana W. Bartram symbol: QUIN
Leaf: Alternate, simple, narrow elliptical, broadest above the middle, 2 to 4 inches long, 1/2 to 1 inch wide. The leaves may have some shallow bristle tipped lobes at the tip, bluish gray above and white woolly below.
Flower: Species is monoecious; male flowers are yellow-green long catkins (2 to 3 inches long); females are green to reddish, very small spike in leaf axils, appearing with the leaves.
Fruit: Acorn, round nut 1/2 inch in diameter, brown; cap usually shallow but may cover up to 1/3 of nut, scales thin.
Twig: Slender, initially quite hairy and light brown, later becoming hairless and darker, buds are sharp pointed, reddish brown, typically clustered at branch tips.
Bark: Dark often nearly black, quite blocky, becomes rough quite early.
Form: Small tree, often only a shrub, to 30 feet, very poor form with numerous dead branches.
Looks like: Darlington oak - shingle oak - willow oak - laurel oak

Additional Range Information: Quercus incana is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
More Information: Fall Color
External Links: USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database
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