Species Category Name: Woody
Quercus macrocarpa Bur oak, sometimes called mossycup oak, the bur oak is regarded as one of the most majestic oaks native to North America. The bur oak’s specific epithet macrocarpa means “large fruit” in reference to its large acorns, which are an important food source for wildlife. Like most oaks, this species is long-lived, typically 200-300 years.
Liriodendron tulipifera is Indiana’s state tree.
The tulip poplar is planted for reforestation purposes because of its rapid growth and the commercial importance of its wood, and is often planted as an ornamental.
This species has some wildlife value. The fruits provide food for squirrels in the late fall and winter months, and the white-tailed deer often browse on the twigs.
LEAVES 6-12 inches long, 3-6 inches wide, green, elliptical, deeply lobed, with a leathery feel
TWIGS Quite stout, yellow-brown, often with corky ridges
FLOWERS The male inflorescence is a catkin which is initially compact and stiff, but eventually unfolds to become longer and hang loosely from the branch. Female flowers are very small and petal-less, emerging from the growing stem at the point where a new leaf is attached
FRUIT A nut (acorn), partially covered with a “cap”, that
changes from green to light brown, dark red brown or dark
grayish
YOUNG BARK Gray-brown to brown and often rather corky with flat elevated ridges
AGED BARK Gray, very deeply furrowed and grooved, with vertical, flattened, narrow ridges
MATURE HEIGHT 70-100 feet
