Black Oak

Quercus velutina

On the edge of the bank opposite the rear doors of the Visitor Center grows a black oak. This is a small specimen planted a few years ago to replace a very large black oak, the stump of which is still visible at the edge of the ridge. The leaves are similar to those of the northern red oak in shape, but early in the year are covered with a layer of fuzz. The bark is broken up into rectangular blocks. One of the most common of the eastern oaks, the bark of the black oak was a source of dyes and tannins in earlier years. A good shade tree, but not often found in nurseries due to its deep tap root which makes it difficult to transplant.