Leaf guide › Oaks
Bur oak
Quercus macrocarpa
The big-leaved oak of Midwest prairies and savannas, with the largest acorns of any native oak.
- Fall color
- YellowBronze
- Turns
- Late
- Leaves
- Alternate (one per spot)
- Size
- 6–12 in. long
- Found in
- Midwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes & North Woods, New England & New York
How to recognize it
- One pair of very deep notches near the middle nearly splits the leaf in two.
- The upper half is broad, with shallow, rounded lobes. The lower half has smaller rounded lobes.
- The leaf is widest toward the tip, and none of the lobes have bristle tips.
- Large acorns sit in a deep cap edged with a fringe of mossy, hair-like scales.
- Thick, deeply furrowed bark, even on fairly young trees.
Where to find it
Look for it on prairies and savannas, along rivers, and as a lone, wide-crowned tree in pastures and parks across the Midwest.
Easy to confuse with
Worth knowing
Bur oak’s thick, corky bark lets it survive grass fires, which is why lone bur oaks stand out across Midwest prairies and savannas where other trees couldn’t take hold. Its acorns are the largest of any native oak in North America, and its scientific name, macrocarpa, means large fruit.
Common questions
What color does bur oak turn in fall?
Bur oak turns yellow to yellow-brown and bronze. It isn’t one of the brightest oaks, but its huge leaves add warm tones late in the season.
When does bur oak change color?
Late in the local season, after most maples have finished.
How can you tell bur oak from white oak?
White oak: Rounded lobes of fairly even size, with no single deep pair of notches in the middle, and burgundy fall color. Bur oak: One very deep pair of notches near the middle, a broad upper half, and a fringed acorn cap.
Where does bur oak grow?
In the lower 48, look for it in the Midwest, the Great Plains, the Great Lakes & North Woods, and parts of New England & New York, often standing alone in open country.
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