Quercus imbricaria

Quercus imbricaria, the shingle oak, is a deciduous tree in the red oak group of oaks. It is native primarily to the Midwestern and Upper South regions of North America.

Description

A deciduous tree. It grows 25 m tall. The bark is grey-brown. It is smooth at first but becomes cracked with age. The leaves are oblong or sword shaped and 15 cm long by 7.5 cm wide. They end in a fine point. They do not have teeth along the edge. The leaves are yellow when young but become dark green. They have grey hairs underneath. The male and female flowers are borne separately on the same plant. The male flowers are more obvious and are in yellow-green drooping catkins. The fruit is an acorn which is 2 cm long. About one third is enclosed in a cup. The cup is covered with broad hairy scales.

Edible Uses

The seeds, up to 18mm long and 18mm wide, are cooked before eating. They can be dried, ground into a powder, and used as a thickening in stews or mixed with cereals for making bread. The seeds contain bitter tannins that must be leached out by thoroughly washing in running water, though this also removes many minerals. Either whole seeds or ground powder can be used. Leaching whole seeds can take several days or even weeks; wrapping them in a cloth bag and placing them in a stream is one established method. Grinding to powder speeds up the process, and a simple taste test indicates when sufficient tannin has been removed. The traditional approach was to bury seeds in boggy ground overwinter and dig up the germinating seeds in spring once most of their astringency had gone. Roasted seeds make a coffee substitute.

Medicinal Uses

Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, and dysentery. The bark is antiseptic, astringent, emetic, febrifuge, and tonic. It has been used to treat chronic dysentery, indigestion, asthma, and intermittent fevers. The bark has been chewed to treat mouth sores, and an infusion of the bark applied as a wash for sore and chapped skin.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It is native to the central and eastern United States. It grows in rich woods and on riverbanks. It suits hardiness zones 6-10.

Where It Grows

Australia, North America, USA,

Cultivation

Prefers a good deep fertile loam which can be on the stiff side. Lime tolerant. Young plants tolerate reasonable levels of side shade. Tolerates moderate exposure, surviving well but being somewhat stunted. Prefers warmer summers than are usually experienced in Britain, trees often grow poorly in this country and fail to properly ripen their wood resulting in frost damage overwinter. The tree flowers on new growth produced in spring, the seed taking two summers to ripen. Intolerant of root disturbance, trees should be planted in their permanent positions whilst young. Closely related to Q. phellos. Hybridizes freely with other members of the genus. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus.

Propagation

Seed loses viability quickly if allowed to dry out. It can be stored moist and cool overwinter, but is best sown as soon as it is ripe in an outdoor seed bed with protection from mice and squirrels. Small quantities can be sown in deep pots in a cold frame. Because plants develop a deep taproot, they should be moved to their permanent positions as soon as possible — trees sown in situ produce the best results. Do not leave trees in a nursery bed for more than 2 growing seasons, as they transplant very poorly after that point.

Other Uses

A mulch of the leaves repels slugs and grubs, though fresh leaves should not be used as they can inhibit plant growth. Oak galls, produced by insect larvae living inside them, yield a rich source of tannin once the insect has left, and can also be used as a dyestuff. The wood is hard, heavy, and rather coarse-grained, weighing 47lb per cubic foot. It is occasionally used in construction and for making furniture, clapboards, and shingles.

Notes

There are about 600 Quercus species.

References (7)

• Coombes, A.J., 2000, Trees. Dorling Kindersley Handbooks. p 164
• Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 1124
• Hist. chenes Amer. t. 15, 16. 1801
• Little, E.L., 1980, National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees. Alfred A. Knopf. p 391
• Moerman, D. F., 2010, Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press. p 462

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