The form and fall color of pin oak make it a popular for ornamental. Pin oak is utilized by many game species, especially wood ducks, whitetail deer, and wild turkey. 

• Buds; clusters of pointed buds located at tips of twigs
• Leaves:
  • alternate, 5 to 7 bristle tipped lobes with deep C-shaped sinuses.
  • dark green during summer, changing to deep scarlet red in fall
  • deciduous, but usually persisting on into winter.
• Flowers:
  • emerge soon after new leaves unfold in spring (April to mid-May). 
• Fruit:
  • acorns
  • roundish, short stalked
  • 3/8 to 1/2 inches long
  • thin, shallow saucer-like cup
  • require 16 to 18 months to develop from pollination to maturity
  • mature acorns turns light brown to reddish-brown and drop from September to November
  • the acorn photos were taken in mid-August and mid-September, but they may have been on different trees. 
• Pin oak is often confused with scarlet oak (Q. coccinea) due to similar appearance.  Scarlet oak is an upland species that prefers soils with good drainage on dry sites.
• Pests and Potential Problems
  • Insect: Gypsy moth should be controlled when the trees are young, but older trees can tolerate infrequent defoliation.
  • Diseases: oak wilt -Little can be done about oak wilt. 
  • Prolonged flooding may kill entire stands.

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