Family | Fagaceae

Fagaceae is a family of flowering plants that includes oaks, beeches and chestnuts. The Fagaceae are deciduous or evergreen trees and shrubs, characterized by alternate simple leaves with pinnate venation, unisexual flowers in the form of catkins, and fruit in the form of cup-like (cupule) nuts. Fagaceae is one of the most ecologically important woody plant families in the Northern Hemisphere, as oaks form the backbone of temperate forest in North America, Europe, and Asia and one of the most significant sources of wildlife fodder.

Several members of the Fagaceae have important economic uses. Many species of oak, chestnut, and beech (genera Quercus, Castanea, and Fagus, respectively) are commonly used as timber for floors, furniture, cabinets, and wine barrels. Cork for stopping wine bottles and myriad other uses is made from the bark of cork oak, Quercus suber. Chestnuts are the fruits from species of the genus Castanea. Numerous species from several genera are prominent ornamentals, and wood chips from the genus Fagus are often used in flavoring beers. 

Quercus__________________________

Southern live oak, Quercus virginiana, is an evergreen oak tree endemic to the Southeastern United States.

White Oaks

Quercus macrocarpa — bur oak — eastern and central North America

Quercus stellata — post oak — eastern North America. (Photo in edit)

RED OAKS

The red oaks  North, Central and South America. Styles long, acorns mature in 18 months, very bitter, inside of acorn shell woolly.

Quercus marilandica — blackjack oak — eastern North America.

Blackjack  Oak, Quercus marilandica
Leaf found in the top of a mature tree.

Fagus_____________________________

Gardening | Plant ID

Beech  is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to Europe, Asia, and North America

Beech grows on a wide range of soil types, acidic or basic. The tree canopy casts dense shade, and carpets the ground thickly with leaf litter.

In North America, they often form beech-maple forests by partnering with the sugar maple.

The trunk of the beech tree takes on the appearance of an elephant leg as it matures.

Cutleaf European Beech Tree (Fagus sylvatica 'Laciniata')

Cutleaf European Beech Tree (Fagus sylvatica 'Laciniata')

Round leaf European Beech Tree (Fagus Sylvatica 'Rotundifolia')


     

References.                                                                          

1. Dirr, Michael A. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants: Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Uses. Champaign, Ill: Stipes, 2010. Print.
2. Garrett, Howard. Howard Garrett's Texas Trees. Lanham, Md: Lone Star Books, 2002. Print.
3. ITIS, Integrated Taxonomic Information System. FAGACEAE

©  2021 Hyden Photography for

~Grassroots Horticulture~

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Woodland Oak Ecology in Eastern Crosstimbers

We have Texas native blackjack oak, Quercus marilandica,  and post oak, Quercus stellata. I believe this moth is in the genus Nemoris and family Geometridaethe that feed on oak.

Location: Eastern Cross Timbers, Texas  

Date: July 10, 2021

Texas native blackjack oak, Quercus marilandica

 

Cicada exoskeleton on an oak leaf.

Cicada killer.

 The Cicada killer has taken up a location between a flower pot and shrub between the path. It can be found there 24/7. He has been guarding this area for over a week but does not seem to be aggressive toward humans or dogs. Interesting behavior.

Subjects: ecology, food web

The word "ecology" ("Ökologie") was coined in 1866 by the German scientist Ernst Haeckel, and it became a rigorous science in the late 19th century.

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©  2021 Hyden Photography for

Grassroots Horticulture

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Red Oaks

Quercus rubra

Quercus rubra, the northern red oak, is an oak tree in the red oak group (Quercus section Lobatae). It is a native of North America, in the eastern and central United States and southeast and south-central Canada. It grows from the north end of the Great Lakes, east to Nova Scotia, south as far as Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana, and west to Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and Minnesota. It has been introduced to small areas in Western Europe, where it can frequently be seen cultivated in gardens and parks. It prefers good soil that is slightly acidic. Often simply called red oak, northern red oak is so named to distinguish it from southern red oak (Q. falcata), also known as the Spanish oak. Northern Red Oak is sometimes called champion oak. It is also the state tree of New Jersey and the provincial tree of Prince Edward Island.

Oak gall

Quercus buckleyi Nixon & Dorr

This species was named for Samuel B. Buckley, botanist and state geologist of Texas. Buckley oak leaves are similar to the Texas red oak,Q. texana, but the two species do not overlap in their distributions. This species should be considered a conservation concern. The largest known Buckley oak grows in Travis County, Texas.

Quercus rubra

Source and Reference.                           

Tekiela, Stan. Trees of Texas: Field Guide. Cambridge, Minn: Adventure Publications, 2009. Print.

Wrede, Jan. Trees, Shrubs, and Vines of the Texas Hill Country: A Field Guide. College Station: Texas A & M University Press, 2010. Internet resource.