Turkey Oak
 

Mature Size, Growth, Longevity

Slender in youth, then conical-mounded to broad-pyramidal or rounded habit, 40-60' tall & wide, occasionally to 100' after many years in an ideal site. Develops a massive trunk and large branches with age, making an impressive specimen in the landscape. Growth rate is normally slow to moderate. Generally long-lived.

Native Range

Native to southern and southeastern Europe, Asia Minor, western Asia. Native to southeast France, across to the Balkans and Turkey, plus Lebanon. Introduced in 1735.

Flower and Fruit Details

Flowers are monoecious, pollinated by wind. Male flowers are not showy, but are yellow-green, 2-4" catkins in April. Female flowers are small, in small clusters. Acorns are one inch long, enclosed halfway by the mossy cap, which has bristly, reflexed scales covering it. Acorns are sessile (with no stem or stalk), with 1-4 occurring together. Acorns mature in the second season, and are eaten by larger birds, etc.

Leaf and Bark Features

Deciduous: Oblong-lanceolate leaves, shiny, dark green above, paler & pubescent beneath, 2.5-5" long, 1-3" wide, alternate, simple, w/ 6-10 vein pairs ending in large, acute, pointed to rounded or truncate teeth around margin, coarsely dentate to pinnately lobed. Leaves hold late into fall and fall off green or may turn to yellow or yellow-brown before falling. Bark is gray-black in raised, checkered plates. Bark becomes deeply furrowed or fissured, splitting into thick plates. On older trees, the trunk fissures are streaked with orange near the base.

Culture and Care

Very adaptable. Does well in clay soils. Drought-tolerant. Hardy to -25°F. Zones 5-7. No serious insect or disease problems. Possible problems include chestnut blight, shoestring root rot, anthracnose, oak leaf blister, cankers, leaf spots, and powdery mildew. Possible insects include scale, lacebugs, borers, leaf skeletonizers, & galls.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts

Strong branches. 3-season interest: Spring, summer, and fall. In the white oak group. This tree is not known outside arboreta. Somewhat rare and unavailable in commerce in the United States. Its Arabic name means "pillar", referring to the impressive, massive trunk.

Suggested Uses

Makes a good medium shade tree for lawns, streets or parks.

Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA