Tree Description
Shumard oaks are large forest trees reaching heights of 100 feet or more with trunks up to 3 feet in diameter. They have wide-spreading, symmetrical crowns.
Range / Site Description
These trees are found in East Texas on well-drained alluvial soils and on fertile slopes, extending west to the Balcones Escarpment near Austin and San Antonio and to the north to the Red River. It often occurs as a single tree or in small groups in forest stands. They are also planted as landscape trees.
Leaf
The leaves are simple and alternate, 6” to 8” long and 4” to 5” wide, usually with 7-9 bristle-tipped lobes, the widest ones on the upper half of the leaf. The leaf’s upper surface is glossy, dark green, and the underside is green and smooth except for small tufts of pubescence in the axils of the veins.
Flower & Fruit
Male and female flowers are borne separately on the same tree in spring. Male flowers grow on catkins 6” to 7” long, and the female flowers are solitary or paired in the leaf axils.
The fruit is an acorn, ¾” to 1 ¼” long and ½” to 1” in diameter, set only at the base in a shallow, saucer-like cup. It requires two years to mature.
Interesting Facts
This species was named for Benjamin Franklin Shumard (1820-1869), a former state geologist of Texas who organized the first comprehensive geological survey of Texas.
Species Summary
| Scientific Name: | Quercus shumardii |
| Secondary Names: | Shumard’s Oak |
| Tree Type: | Deciduous |
| Dimensions: | Height: 100 feet Trunk Diameter: 3 feet |
| Leaf Structure: | Simple, alternate |
| Leaf Size: | 6-8 inches long and 4-5 inches wide |
| Leaf Shape: | Bristle-tipped lobes |
| Leaf Margin: | Sinuate |
| Additional Information: | iNaturalist – Shumard Oak |
Source: Texas A&M Forest Service Trees of Texas – Shumard Oak