Post Oak, a Common Tree in North America

Quercus stellata, a Top 100 Common Tree in North America

post oak tree — Larry D. Moore/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0

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Updated on March 17, 2019

Post oak (Quercus stellata), sometimes called iron oak, is a medium-sized tree abundant throughout the southeastern and south-central United States where it forms pure stands in the prairie transition area. This slow-growing oak tree typically occupies rocky or sandy ridges and dry woodlands with a variety of soils and is considered drought resistant. The wood is very durable in contact with soil and used widely for fenceposts, hence, the name.

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The Silviculture of Post Oak

Post oak is a valuable contributor to wildlife food and cover. Considered a beautiful shade tree for parks, post oak is often used in urban forestry. It is also planted for soil stabilization on dry, sloping, stony sites where few other trees will grow. The wood of post oak, commercially called white oak, is classified as moderately to very resistant to decay. It is used for railroad ties, lathing, siding, planks, construction timbers, mine timbers, trim molding, stair risers and treads, flooring (its highest volume finished products), fence posts, pulp, veneer, particle boards, and fuel.

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Where to Find Images of Post Oak

Forestryimages.org provides several images of parts of post oak. The tree is a hardwood and the lineal taxonomy is Magnoliopsida > Fagales > Fagaceae > Quercus stellata. Due to varying leaf shapes and acorn sizes, several varieties of post oak have been recognized-sand post oak (Q. stellata var. margaretta (Ashe) Sarg.), and Delta post oak (Quercus stellata var. paludosa Sarg.)

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Habitat Range of the Post Oak

Post oak is widespread in the eastern and central United States from southeastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island, southern Connecticut, and extreme southeastern New York; south to central Florida; and west to southeastern Kansas, western Oklahoma, and central Texas. In the Midwest, it grows as far north as southeastern Iowa, central Illinois, and southern Indiana. It is an abundant tree in coastal plains and the Piedmont region and extends into the lower slopes of the Appalachian Mountains.

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Post Oak Leaves and Twigs

Leaf: Alternate, simple, oblong, 6 to 10 inches long, with 5 lobes, the two middle lobes are distinctly square, resulting in an overall cruciform appearance, thickened texture; green above with scattered stellate pubescence, pubescent and paler below.

Twig: 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.

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Fire Effects on Post Oak

In general, small post oaks are top-killed by low-severity fire, and more severe fires top-kill larger trees and may kill rootstocks as well.

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Your Citation

Nix, Steve. "Post Oak, a Common Tree in North America." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/post-oak-tree-overview-1343216. Nix, Steve. (2023, April 5). Post Oak, a Common Tree in North America. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/post-oak-tree-overview-1343216 Nix, Steve. "Post Oak, a Common Tree in North America." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/post-oak-tree-overview-1343216 (accessed June 4, 2023).