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: 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!
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.
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.
Might not be recommended in Iowa, though? Actually, doesn't seem to be the case, since it's a native: ISU Forestry Extension - Tree Identification: Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) In order to avoid chlorosis, looks like it needs to be in slightly acidic soils (see some of the last few paragraphs on that link)
