Black Oak
Quercus velutina

Family: Fagaceae

What it is like

Quercus velutina is a deciduous Tree growing to 30 m (98ft) by 25 m (82ft) at a medium rate. It is frost tender. It is in flower from April to May, and the seeds ripen in October. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Height (m): 30

Where it is found

Dry woods. Often found on poor dry sandy, heavy clay soils or on gravelly uplands and ridges.

Eastern N. America - Maine to Ontario, Minnesota, Florida and Texas.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Seed - cooked. The seed is up to 25mm long and wide. It can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. The seed contains bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. The traditional method of preparing the seed was to bury it in boggy ground overwinter. The germinating seed was dug up in the spring when it would have lost most of its astringency. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute.

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Coffee: the various substitutes that can be used instead of coffee.

Medicine

Rating: 3

The inner bark contains quercitannic acid and is used medicinally, mainly as a mild astringent. It is inferior to the bark of white oaks because it contains large amounts of tannin. The bark is astringent, disinfectant, emetic, febrifuge and tonic. It is used in the treatment of chronic dysentery, intermittent fevers, indigestion, asthma and lost voice. An infusion has been used as a gargle for sore throats, hoarseness colds etc. The bark can be chewed as a treatment for mouth sores. An infusion of the bark has been used as a wash for sore and chapped skin. A decoction of the crushed bark has been used as a wash for sore eyes. Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc.

Antiaphonic: Restores the voice.

Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.

Disinfectant: Used for cleaning wounds.

Dysentery: Used in treating dysentery - an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhoea containing blood or mucus.

Emetic: Induces vomiting.

Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.

Ophthalmic: Treats eye complaints.

Salve: Soothes and heals damaged skin.

Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.

Other

Rating: 3

A mulch of the leaves repels slugs, grubs etc, though fresh leaves should not be used as these can inhibit plant growth. Oak galls are excrescences that are sometimes produced in great numbers on the tree and are caused by the activity of the larvae of different insects. The insects live inside these galls, obtaining their nutrient therein. When the insect pupates and leaves, the gall can be used as a rich source of tannin, that can also be used as a dyestuff. The bark is a source of tannin. A yellow dye is obtained from this tree. The bark is a rich source whilst the seed can also be used. The dye is reddish-yellow according to one report and does not need a mordant. Wood - heavy, hard, strong, coarse grained. It weighs 43lb per cubic foot. Of little value except as a fuel. Commercially important according to another report. The wood is used for rough lumber, cross-ties etc.

Disinfectant: Plants used for disinfecting.

Dye: Plants that provide dyes.

Fuel: Usually wood, plant materials that have been mentioned as being a good fuel.

Repellent: Plants that are said to deter but not necessarily kill various mammals, birds, insects etc.

Tannin: An astringent substance obtaied from plants, it is used medicinally, as a dye and mordant, stabilizer in pesticide etc.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

How it is grown

Prefers a good deep fertile loam which can be on the stiff side. Young plants tolerate reasonable levels of side shade. Tolerates moderate exposure, surviving well but being somewhat stunted. Prefers warmer summers than are usually experienced in Britain, trees often grow poorly in this country and fail to properly ripen their wood resulting in frost damage overwinter. A fairly fast-growing tree. Rather slow-growing according to another report which also says that trees rarely live longer than 200 years. Trees commence bearing seeds when 15 - 20 years old. Production is cyclic with a year of high yields being followed by 1 - 2 years of low yields. The seed takes 2 summers to ripen. There are several named varieties selected for their ornamental value. Intolerant of root disturbance, trees should be planted in their permanent positions whilst young. Established trees often produce lots of suckers. Hybridizes freely with other members of the genus. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus.

Propagating it: Seed - it quickly loses viability if it is allowed to dry out. It can be stored moist and cool overwinter but is best sown as soon as it is ripe in an outdoor seed bed, though it must be protected from mice, squirrels etc. Small quantities of seed can be sown in deep pots in a cold frame. Plants produce a deep taproot and need to be planted out into their permanent positions as soon as possible, in fact seed sown in situ will produce the best trees. Trees should not be left in a nursery bed for more than 2 growing seasons without being moved or they will transplant very badly.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Canopy;

Habit: Tree

Hardiness:

Growth: Medium

Soil: Medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Q. tinctoria.