Species PlantsBur Oak

Bur Oak

Quercus macrocarpa

CommonPlant
Illustration of Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)

Bur Oak is the dominant oak of the tallgrass prairie region and the most drought and fire-tolerant oak in North America, with a thick, corky bark that resists prairie fires. It ranges farther into the Great Plains than any other eastern oak. Its large, fringed acorns ('mossy-cup' acorns) are sweet and were an important food for plains indigenous peoples.

Habitat
Prairie edges, open savannas, and upland forest of the central North America
Diet
Acorns eaten by blue jays, wild turkey, deer, squirrels, and bears
How common
Common

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