Water Oak (Quercus nigra)

Plantae>Magnoliophyta>Magnoliopsida>Fagales>Fagaceae>Quercus nigra L.

	Water Oak is an fairly common medium-large tree of bottomland forests in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont of North Carolina. Durham Co., NC 5/23/2012.
	Similar to Willow Oak (Quercus phellos) in tree shape and bark, but easily distinguished by the club-like lobes of the leaves. Durham Co., NC 5/23/2012.
	Also compare with the semi-evergreen Laurel Oak (Q. laurifolia) and Sand Laurel Oak (Q. hemisphaerica) of the Coastal Plain. Durham Co., NC 5/23/2012.
	The Blackjack Oak (Q. marilandica) also has club-shaped leaves, but is not otherwise similar -- it's a coarse small tree of drier areas, with much larger, glossier leaves that are hairy beneath and rough bark. Wake Co., NC 5/30/2011.
	Wake Co., NC 5/30/2011.
	Wake Co., NC 5/30/2011.

	Falls Lake, Granville Co., NC 4/27/08.
	Granville Co., NC 4/27/08.


	Chatham Co., NC 5/26/05.
	Greenville, NC 11/1/05.
	Greenville, NC 11/1/05.
	The acorns are small with a flattened cap. Columbia, NC 10/2/05.
	Bark of a small tree. Greenville, NC 11/1/05.
	Bark of a medium-sized tree.
	Hybrids of different species in the red oak group are not too unusual. Here's an apparent hybrid Q. nigra x Q. phellos in Duke Forest, Durham Co., NC.