Plant Identification: CLOSED: Need help oak identification central texas , 3 by ViburnumValley

ViburnumValley wrote:
Hi Gtojohn:

I\'m not going to be much help in sorting through oaks found in TX - especially with species that may have been planted. If you haven\'t already found this link, the US Forest Service produced a great document that helps you start narrowing the field with unknown oaks. The Field Guide to Native Oaks of Eastern North America shows what is out there, so you will have some idea of what to delve into further with some searching of additional references.

[HYPERLINK@www.fs.fed.us]

I agree that that plant is a member of the White Oak group, with no evident bristle tips on the leaf lobes. Beyond that, I can\'t make out too much detailed information.

TIPS: Always take a picture of the WHOLE plant to start off the ID pursuit. Sometimes, pictures from several angles will be helpful. Then, work your way in to finer and finer details. Kudos for showing the bark; doesn\'t help me, but may help those who know TX oaks better. That flat but flaking bark may be a key. Show upper and undersides of leaves; it helps to press them flat against something to get clear images. The fuzziness or lack thereof can be a separating feature. Also, zooming in on the dormant buds at the base of each leaf petiole or at the terminal will also provide very good information when comparing with species descriptions. Providing something in the leaf and bud images (or acorn pics) for scale, like a coin, helps illustrate how big or small something is.

Oak leaf morphology is a wonder of nature. If you indeed are going to begin growing oaks from seed, you will experience the array of leaf shapes generated by acorns from the same tree, as well as within a species. It is great fun. I\'m attaching photos of a zillion oak seedlings from a nursery here in the Ohio River Valley region.

Good luck with this quest. If you are able to provide more images of the current conditions, that will be beneficial. Try to take some pictures next year, too, that show the tree with its catkins and subsequently any acorns that may be forming.