Difficulty trying to ID black oak and pin oak

Discussion in 'Plants: Identification' started by Earth man, Oct 7, 2016.

  1. Earth man

    Earth man New Member

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    Hello, this is my first post here.

    My neighbors have some trees in their yard which are oak trees, but when I tried to match the leaves on the internet, their leaves look like both black oak and pin oak. The two species's leaves look the same to me, so I can't tell the difference lol.

    I was wondering how to tell the difference. I've read several guides to ID oak trees, but it's no use.

    Here are some pictures I took this morning:
    sSVIj6T.jpg

    u0oXPaY.jpg
    b4muMs5.jpg

    I planted 3 of its acorns yesterday. I didn't find out until this morning, however, that, according to one website, arborists are no longer recommending that people plant more pin oaks because of a problem it has with chlorosis.

    Anyway, I wondered if that's what this was, although I've never seen a problem with its leaves before.

    If anyone could help me properly identify this tree accurately, I'd appreciate it. Also, I'd like to know the methods people use to differentiate between black oak and pin oaks.

    Thanks, and awesome website!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 7, 2016
  2. Earth man

    Earth man New Member

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    Here are some more pictures of the leaves and acorns.
    fURAiGc.jpg
    rI3sx1z.jpg
    SGvOvxA.jpg
    TrWRL2t.jpg
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 7, 2016
  3. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    This one is a Pin Oak; Black has less regular, less deeply lobed leaves, and doesn't have the pubescence restricted to those distinct tufts in the vein axils. The crown shape (numerous fairly small branches) is also typical Pin Oak.
     
  4. Earth man

    Earth man New Member

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    Aw man, then this is the one they said not to plant :(
    Thanks for your help, though!
     
  5. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Well, they're not terrible trees. Your neighbour's tree is behaving well enough for you to be impressed enough to want one (or three). The Vancouver Trees App | UBC Botanical Garden says that it's a poor choice for narrow streetscapes where there isn't room for them to spread out, particularly the lower branches. It's the most commonly planted oak in the Vancouver area.
     
  6. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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  7. Earth man

    Earth man New Member

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    Yeah, I still like it lol. I'm going to keep like 40 or 50 acorns in the refrigerator this winter.
     

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