Quercus velutina

Quercus velutina (Latin 'velutina', "velvety") , the black oak, is a species of oak in the red oak group (Quercus sect. Lobatae), native and widespread in eastern and central North America. It is sometimes called the eastern black oak. Quercus velutina was previously known as yellow oak due to the yellow pigment in its inner bark. It is a close relative of the California black oak (Quercus kelloggii) found in western North America.

Description

A small tree. It grows up to 20 m high. The trunk is 90 cm across. It is clear up to the crown. The leaves are 10-20 cm long. There are 5-7 lobes and the base is rounded. The lobes are oblique to the midrib and have parallel sides. The leaves are shiny dark green above and yellowish-brown and rough underneath. They are hairy when young. The leaf stalks are stout and 7-15 cm long. The acorns are small and 12-20 mm long. The cup is bowl shaped and 12-24 mm across. It encloses about half the nut.

Edible Uses

The seed, up to 25mm long and wide, must be cooked before eating. It can be dried and ground into a powder for use as a stew thickener or mixed with cereals for bread. Bitter tannins in the seed can be leached out by washing thoroughly in running water, though this also removes many minerals. Either whole seeds or ground powder can be used — whole seeds may take several days or weeks to leach adequately, and wrapping them in a cloth bag placed in a stream is one traditional method. Leaching powder is quicker. A taste test confirms when tannin has been sufficiently removed. The traditional preparation involved burying seeds in boggy ground over winter; the germinating seed dug up in spring would have lost most of its astringency. The roasted seed serves as a coffee substitute.

Traditional Uses

The acorns are used to make flour.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The inner bark contains quercitannic acid and is used medicinally as a mild astringent, though it is considered inferior to white oak bark because of its high tannin content. The bark is astringent, disinfectant, emetic, febrifuge, and tonic, used in treating chronic dysentery, intermittent fevers, indigestion, asthma, and lost voice. An infusion has been used as a gargle for sore throats, hoarseness, and colds, and the bark can be chewed to treat mouth sores. An infusion of the bark applied as a wash soothes sore and chapped skin, and a decoction of crushed bark has been used as a wash for sore eyes. Galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and useful in treating haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, and dysentery.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It is native to eastern North America. It grows on dry sandy soils. It also grows on steep slopes with heavy soils. It is intolerant of shade. It suits hardiness zones 3-9. Arboretum Tasmania.

Where It Grows

Australia, Canada, Myanmar, North America, SE Asia, Tasmania, USA,

Cultivation

Prefers a good deep fertile loam which can be on the stiff side. 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. A fairly fast-growing tree. Rather slow-growing according to another report which also says that trees rarely live longer than 200 years. Trees commence bearing seeds when 15 - 20 years old. Production is cyclic with a year of high yields being followed by 1 - 2 years of low yields. The seed takes 2 summers to ripen. There are several named varieties selected for their ornamental value. Intolerant of root disturbance, trees should be planted in their permanent positions whilst young. Established trees often produce lots of suckers. Hybridizes freely with other members of the genus. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus.

Propagation

Seed loses viability rapidly if allowed to dry out. It can be stored moist and cool over winter 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 — seed sown in situ produces the best trees. Trees left in a nursery bed for more than 2 growing seasons transplant very poorly.

Other Uses

A mulch of leaves repels slugs and grubs, though fresh leaves should not be used as they can inhibit plant growth. Oak galls caused by insect larvae provide a useful source of tannin once the insect has left; the tannin can also serve as a dyestuff. The bark is a source of tannin. A yellow dye — described as reddish-yellow in one account and requiring no mordant — is obtained from this tree, primarily from the bark, with the seed also usable. The wood is heavy, hard, strong, and coarse-grained, weighing 43lb per cubic foot. It is considered of limited value except as fuel, though one report describes it as commercially important; uses include rough lumber and cross-ties.

Production

Trees live for 200 years.

Notes

There are about 600 Quercus species.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Zaw-gyi

References (12)

• Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., and James A. Duke. "The Foodplant Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/foodplantdb.(ACEDB version 4.0 - data version July 1994)
• Brickell, C. (Ed.), 1999, The Royal Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. Convent Garden Books. p 856
• Coombes, A.J., 2000, Trees. Dorling Kindersley Handbooks. p 173
• Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 1128
• Encycl. 1:721. 1785

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