Quercus palustris (Pin Oak) Unity Grown

Quercus palustris, commonly called pin oak, is a medium to large oak in the informal red oak group, which is named for the vibrant red hues of these trees' fall foliage. Pin oak is a fast grower, and can grow to a moderate height of 50-70' tall in yard or home garden settings, but may reach heights of up to 100' in the wild; pin oak is so named for its growth habit in which lower branchlets are eventually shaded out, die back, and snap off their main branches, leaving behind persistent 'pins' that jut out from the central trunk and lead branches. As an oak tree, Quercus palustris produces acorns, which are rounded with small caps that barely cover the base of the acorn, as well as occasionally prevalent striations along the sides of the nut.

Pin oak is typically planted for shade purposes, and has become very popular for this purpose as street trees and in yards and parks, but pin oak can also work great for mitigation or rehabilitation purposes. Found in the wild in wet, marshy areas, Quercus palustris has high tolerance of wet soil and occasional flooding, and it has shallow, fibrous roots which allow for easy transplant. Pin oak acorns are ecologically valuable to a large number of species, including small mammals and a number of bird species, including various types of songbird, ground bird, and waterfowl. In addition to acorn value, many oak species are regarded as important keystone plants for their support of larval butterflies and moths, and Quercus palustris is no different, acting as a host to several species of hairstreak butterfly as well as the sinuous lytrosis moth (Lytrosis sinuosa), which is endangered in Maryland.