Bastard white oak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bastard white oak |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Quercus
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| Species: |
austrina
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| Natural range for Quercus austrina | |
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The bluff oak, also known as Quercus austrina, is a special type of oak tree. It is found only in the southeastern United States. You can find it from Mississippi to the Carolinas. There are also a few small groups of these trees in Arkansas. It is sometimes called the bastard white oak.
Bluff oaks can grow quite tall. They can reach heights of 13.5 to 18 meters (45 to 60 feet). Their branches can spread out 10.5 to 15 meters (35 to 50 feet) wide. The leaves of the bluff oak are narrow. They have shallow, rounded edges.
These trees often grow in wet places. You might see them on river bluffs or in river bottoms. They also like flat, wooded areas. They prefer soils that are rich in certain minerals. These can include soils over rocks like mafic rocks, shells, or chalky sediments.
Sometimes, people have confused the bluff oak with other oak species. It has been mistaken for Q. sinuata or the water oak (Q. nigra).
The bluff oak is quite tough. It can grow well in many different types of soil. This includes clay, sand, and loam. It can also handle acidic soils and those that drain water well. This tree needs a lot of sunlight to grow. It can also survive long periods without much water, meaning it has high drought tolerance.
Meet the Champion Bluff Oak
Did you know there's a "national champion" bluff oak? This is the largest known bluff oak tree in the United States. It was added to the National Register of Champion Trees in 2015. This special tree is located in Wakulla, Florida.
A person named George Apthorp first suggested this tree in 2009. It was officially named the champion on September 1, 2015. The last time it was measured was in 2014. At that time, the champion tree was very impressive. Its trunk was 128 inches (about 3.25 meters) around. It stood 129 feet (about 39 meters) tall. Its crown, which is the spread of its branches, was 70 feet (about 21 meters) wide.
The organization American Forests has a way to score champion trees. They add the trunk circumference (in inches) to the height (in feet). Then they add one-quarter of the average crown spread (in feet). For this champion bluff oak, the total score was 275 points!
