Northern pin oak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Northern pin oak |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Quercus
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| Species: |
ellipsoidalis
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| Natural range (in the US) | |
Quercus ellipsoidalis, also known as the northern pin oak or Hill's oak, is a type of tree found in North America. It grows mainly in the north-central United States and south-central Canada. You'll often see it in the Great Lakes region and the Upper Mississippi Valley. This tree usually prefers dry, sandy soils.
What Does the Northern Pin Oak Look Like?
The Northern pin oak is a medium-sized tree that loses its leaves every year (it's a deciduous tree). It can grow up to 20 meters (about 65 feet) tall. It has an open, rounded top, like a big dome.
Its leaves are shiny green. They are about 7 to 13 centimeters (3 to 5 inches) long and 5 to 10 centimeters (2 to 4 inches) wide. Each leaf has five or seven deep, rounded sections called lobes. The tips of these lobes have small, stiff points, like tiny bristles. The leaves are mostly smooth, but you might find small fuzzy patches where the leaf veins meet.
The tree's acorns are usually shaped like an ellipse, which is where the tree gets its scientific name, ellipsoidalis. However, their shape can vary a lot, sometimes even looking round. They are about 6 to 11 millimeters (about 1/4 to 7/16 inches) long and 10 to 19 millimeters (about 3/8 to 3/4 inches) wide. A deep cup covers about one-third to one-half of the acorn. They start green and turn light brown about 18 months after the tree is pollinated. The inside of the acorn is very bitter. The inside of the acorn's cap is smooth or has only a few curly hairs.
How Do People Use Northern Pin Oaks?
Northern pin oak trees are often planted in gardens and parks because they are very pretty. They are popular because their leaves turn a bright red color in the fall. They can also grow well in sandy soils that are not very rich in nutrients.
The wood from the Northern pin oak is used for different things. People use it to make fence posts, for fuel (like firewood), and for general building projects. There is also a special type of Northern pin oak called ‘Hemelrijk’. This type has won an important award called the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit because it's such a great plant for gardens.
