Black Oak

About Black Oak in Alberta

Black oak is a non-native red-oak-group species for Alberta, best treated here as a very rare cultivated possibility rather than an established provincial ornamental or wild tree. Its strongest identification traits are bristle-tipped lobed leaves, dark rugged bark, orange-yellow inner bark, fuzzy angled terminal buds, and acorns that mature in the second growing season. For ARA, a verified Alberta black oak would be notable because of rarity, long-term survival in cultivation, and documented planting context, especially in arboreta, campuses, cemeteries, estates, or collector landscapes.

Identification: Leaves are alternate, usually ovate to obovate, and typically have 5 to 9 lobes. The lobes end in bristle tips, placing the species in the red oak group. The upper leaf surface is dark glossy green, while the lower surface is paler and may show small hair tufts or scattered pubescence.

Alberta range and habitat: Black oak is not native to Alberta. Alberta records should be treated as planted unless exceptional evidence proves otherwise.