Oak
Scientific Name: Quercus phellos, Quercus bicolor, Quercus palustris
Common Name: Willow Oak, Swamp White Oak, Pin Oak
Plant Family: Fagaceae (Beech family)
Etymology: The word quercus comes from the Latin word for oak. Phellos comes from the Latin for cork oak.
Indigenous Uses
Bark from oak trees were brewed into teas that could cure several ailments including asthma and fevers. Acorns also served as an antiseptic and the oak tree was known to cure indigestion. White oak, especially, was used in producing bows.
Medicinal Uses
Bark from oak trees were brewed into teas that could cure several ailments including asthma and fevers. Acorns also served as an antiseptic and the oak tree was known to cure indigestion. White oak, especially, was used in producing bows.
Edible Parts
Gather acorns as soon as they begin falling, before insects and squirrels begin consuming and stashing them. Discard any acorns with pinholes, indicating weevil grubs, and those lightly colored or with strongly attached caps. Place acorns in a bowl of water and discard any that float. Remove the shells with a nutcracker or a hammer over a towel to prevent the nutmeat from flying away. Smash or grind into acorn meal. Soak shelled acorns for a few days in a large glass bowl or jar, changing the water each time it turns brown from leached tannins. When the water remains clear and the acorns do not have a bitter taste, they are ready to cook and eat. Dry the acorn meal for use in baking, or use in soups and porridges. Store leached acorns in the freezer. Oak bark can be used in beer, for flavoring, in preserves, spice blends, sauerkraut, and vinegar.
Gathering and Using
Acorns can be gathered in the fall and utilized at any point. Spring and fall are the best times to collect branches and bark.
Permaculture Functions and Considerations
Oaks are especially important as a foundational or keystone species and should be included in any yard or garden. Supporting countless insects, mammals, and birds including many beneficial insects can help any garden or yard thrive.
How to Identify
Outside of the presence of acorns, the leaves of oaks tend to be alternate and simple, but leaf shape and size does vary between species. Willow Oaks have leaves that turn brown in the fall and appear like willow leaves, although the bark and their arrangement on the tree gives them away. Swamp White Oaks have leaves with four to six rounded lobes and are typically tinged white underneath while the top of the leaf is a glossy green. Pin Oaks are identifiable by their shape with lower branches pointing downward and has leaves 3-7” long.
Wildlife Support
Oaks are the pinnacle of keystone plants as they host over 600 moth and butterfly species on them. Squirrels and other mammals as well as birds enjoy the acorns that drop in the fall. Oaks have a great branch structure with many crooks, allowing for various animals and birds to nest in them. Oaks flower in the spring and are a huge benefit to many pollinators and other insects. There are many insect species that rely on oaks including weevils, wasps, and others.
Additional Information
The White Oak (Quercus alba) is the State Tree of Maryland, the most famous example of this species being in Wye Mills, nicknamed the “Wye Oak.”
Sources
Petrides, G. A., & Wehr, J. (1998). A field guide to Eastern Trees: Eastern United States and Canada, including the Midwest. Houghton Mifflin.
State of Maryland. (n.d.). Maryland at a glance. Maryland Manual On-Line)