Common Missouri Oak Trees Id By Twigs/buds

Front 1

White Oak (Quercus alba)

Back 1

Hint 1

Red-brown to somewhat gray, even a bit purple at times, hairless and often shiny; multiple terminal buds are red-brown, small, rounded (globose) and hairless.

Front 2

Willow Oak (Quercus phellos)

Back 2

Hint 2

Slender, hairless, olive-brown in color when young; multiple terminal buds are very small, reddish brown and sharp-pointed.

Front 3

Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)

Back 3

Hint 3

Slender, red-brown in color and quite lustrous with multiple terminal buds that are small, pointed, and chestnut brown.

Front 4

Chinkapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii)

Back 4

Hint 4

Slender to moderate, orange-brown, buds cluster at branch tips, terminal buds 1/8 inch long, pointed, chestnut brown, individual scales with frosted edges.

Front 5

Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)

Back 5

Hint 5

Quite stout, yellow-brown, often with corky ridges; multiple terminal buds are small, round, and may be somewhat pubescent often surrounded by thread-like stipules; laterals are similar, but smaller.

Front 6

Shingle Oak (Quercus imbricaria)

Back 6

Hint 6

Slender, olive-green to orange-brown, quite lustrous with conical, pointed, red-brown buds.

Front 7

Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor)

Back 7

Hint 7

Moderately stout, light brown, terminal buds short, blunt and light brown, thread-like stipules often present around terminal bud.

Front 8

Black Oak (Quercus velutina)

Back 8

Hint 8

Stout and red-brown to gray-green, usually glabrous but rapidly growing twigs may be hairy; buds are very large (1/4 to 1/2 inch long), buff-colored, fuzzy, pointed and distinctly angular.

Front 9

Post Oak (Quercus stellata)

Back 9

Hint 9

Gray or tawny-tomentose and dotted with numerous lenticels; multiple terminal buds are short, blunt, orange-brown, somewhat pubescent, short, thread-like stipules may be present.

Front 10

Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)

Back 10

Hint 10

Quite stout, red-brown and glabrous; terminal buds multiple, quite large, conical, and covered with red-brown, mostly hairless scales but terminal scales may bear some frosty pubescence.

Front 11

English Oak (Quercus robur)

Back 11

Hint 11

Moderate, yellow-brown, smooth; brown buds are angled, short and round with each scale edged in light brown.