Virginia Tech Dendrology

cherrybark oak Fagaceae Quercus pagoda Raf. symbol: QUPA5
Leaf: Alternate, simple, 5 to 8 inches long, 5 to 9, bristle tipped lobes which are shallower than Quercus falcata, margins of lobes are nearly at right angles to midrib, bright green above, duller and may be scruffy-hairy beneath and on petiole.
Flower: Species is monoecious; staminate yellow-green flowers borne on elongated clusters of catkins; pistilate flowers are very small, green and borne on a short stalk, appear with the leaves.
Fruit: Acorns are 1/2 inch long, orange-brown, pubescent when young; scaly, somewhat pubescent cap covers about 1/3 of the nut; matures in fall after two years.
Twig: Orange to reddish brown, often very pubescent with older twigs becoming glabrous; multiple terminal buds (1/8 to 1/4 inch) are pointed, reddish brown and have some pubescence on the upper half.
Bark: Initially smooth, but quickly developing small scaly ridges, later becoming dark, scaly and quite rough. At times resembling black cherry bark.
Form: Large tree, with good, straight form, often well over 100 feet tall and over 3 feet in diameter.
Looks like: southern red oak - Shumard oak - black oak - northern red oak

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