Landowner Fact Sheets


post oak Quercus stellata Post oak is a widely distributed species, typically found on dry sites. Post oak is used for a variety of wood products. Like other oaks, it also provides acorns for wildlife, and is often planted as a shade tree.
Light	Fall Color.	Water
Growth		Size
Timber Value
Post oak is used for flooring, veneer, trim moldings, stair risers and treads, siding, lathing, planks, construction timbers, mine timbers, railroad ties, fence posts, pulp products, and fuelwood.
Wildlife Value
Acorns are eaten by a variety of species. Leaves are used for building nests by birds and raccoons. Cavities are home to many birds and mammals.
Attracts: squirrels, various other rodents, deer, various birds, raccoons
Regeneration methods
Post oak is slow growing and shade intolerant - clearcut or seed-tree methods combined with competition removal allow for regeneration. Best success occurs on drier sites.
Important Problems	Early Detection tips
chestnut blight	dieback, distorted growth, orange fungus on stems

Fun facts
Post oak gets its name from the traditional use of the wood for fence posts.
Quercus Latin name. stellata stellate (covered with stars), referring to hairs on leaf undersides.
Home - Quercus stellata I.D. Fact Sheet - US Forest Silvics - Additional silvics - VT Dendro
2004 Virginia Tech Forestry Department, all rights reserved. Text, images, and programming by: Dr. Jeff Kirwan, Dr. John R. Seiler, John A. Peterson, Edward C. Jensen, Guy Phillips, or Andrew S. Meeks. questions, comments, and criticisms: email John.Peterson@vt.edu