Bur Oak Shade Tree

Quercus macrocarpa – Bur Oak, Burr Oak, Mossycup Oak, Blue Oak

This long-lived native oak is a top choice shade tree due to its stately crown and majestic form with picturesque branching structure. In its bare winter grandeur, there isn’t a better-looking shade tree than the Bur Oak. It is well adapted to growing in North Texas and is also favored for its resistance to oak wilt disease and most pests. Attracts birds, butterflies, and mammals that eat its large acorns.

Bur Oak is a good alternative to the overused Live Oak. which has several issues: it grows too wide for most residential landscapes, creating too much dense shade; and its large root system and suckering overcrowd other plants you may want to grow. Additionally, Live Oak is especially susceptible to oak wilt, a rapidly spreading fungus.

Growing Requirements

Light: Full Sun, Partial Shade
Water: Low, Medium

Adaptable to many soil types but prefers well-drained conditions. Drought tolerant once established. The Bur Oak is a very wide-growing tree, so place it in a spot that gives it deep soil and ample room to grow, ideally located at least 20-25 feet away from a building.

In the Landscape

Average Size: 60-80+ feet tall x 30-50+ feet wide
Spacing: 30-50 feet
Classification: Deciduous Shade Tree
Uses: Shade, Focal Point, Wildlife Habitat
Wildlife: Provides food, shelter, and nesting sites for wildlife; larval host for Horace’s Duskywing and Edwards Hairstreak butterflies.

Seasonal Interest:  Winter, Fall
Beautiful, large yellow leaves in the fall and majestic branching on older trees in the winter. Blooms in spring. Produces large acorns that mature in late summer or early fall.

Care & Maintenance

Prune in late winter or early spring, before new growth appears, for shape or to raise the canopy. More on tree trimming and pruning as well as how to find a qualified arborist.

You may need to clean up a few times a year: catkins (flowers) are dropped in the spring, 2-inch acorns in summer and/or fall, and large leaves in the fall. Appreciates some water during dry spells. Occasional issues with aphids, spider mites, and sooty mold but none that pose a serious threat.

Note that Bur Oak is sensitive to root zone disturbances, so take care if doing construction near the tree.

More resources: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and  Native Plant Society of Texas.

1. Great Burr Oak by Heath Cajandig via Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC BY 2.0. Original was cropped with minor exposure adjustments. ↩︎
2. Burr Oak by Heath Cajandig via Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC BY 2.0. Original was cropped with minor exposure adjustments. ↩︎
3. Photos by (L) Kent McFarland and (R) Michael W Belitz via iNaturalist. Licensed under CC0. ↩︎
4. License CC BY-SA 4.0. Image derived from (L) Quercus macrocarpa in Hackfalls Arboretum by Krzysztof Golik via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; (M) photo by Eleanor Pate via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0; (R) Oak Leaves by daryl_mitchell via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Original images cropped/configured with minor exposure adjustments for side-by-side presentation. ↩︎
5. Photos (L) Great Burr Oak on a Dramatic Morning and (R) Great Burr Oak on a Winter Day by Heath Cajandig via Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC BY 2.0. Original images were cropped with minor exposure adjustments. ↩︎