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Oak, The State Tree of Iowa

Mar 15, 2010; 8:54 AM ET

Iowa has chosen the Oak as its state tree. No species of oak has been designated. However many authors have erroneously listed bur oak, white oak, or northern red oak as the state tree of Iowa.

The bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) is grown in the National Grove of State Trees to represent Iowa. The natural range of bur oak is chiefly in east-central United States, and it is one of the most common naturally occurring trees in Iowa. It is very drought tolerant and resistant to fire. This allowed the bur oak to grow as the last forest tree on the edges of the prairie, where recurring fires and drought prevented forestation. Bur oak grows to be a stately tree, but it is little-used in horticulture as it is difficult to transplant, and the oversized acorns become potent missiles when they fall.

Look for: large tree; violin-shaped leaves, deeply lobed at the base, with a deep waist halfway down the leaf; flowers small, wind-pollinated, on hanging catkins; large acorns to 1.5 inches long, with a fringed cup covering half or more of the nut.