Tree of the Week: Durand Oak (Quercus sinuata)

Continuing our study of the arboretum's acorn production, we have photos below of the Durand oak and its immature acorns. Out there in the bright sunshine, our Durand oak is labeled Quercus durandii, but another widely used binomial is Quercus sinuata.

Our lone Durand oak (Quercus durandii syn. Q. sinuata) is approximately 25 years old. You can read about its acquisition on an older blog post found here.

This week in July, you can find immature acorns on the branches. This isn't the first time that we have seen fruits on this tree. In June of 2019, we posted photos of developing acorns; however, we have yet to examine mature fruits.

 

There are more than a handful of immature fruits that are easily observable from the ground.

 

Immature acorns of Quercus durandii syn. Q. sinuata (July 10, 2022)

 

Immature acorns of Quercus durandii syn. Q. sinuata (July 10, 2022)

 

And, if the sweltering heat and blinding sunrays haven't convinced you that summer has arrived in northwest Louisiana, here we have another sign of the season―a cicada exoskeleton was found firmly attached to our Durand oak.

 

Fall Foliage: Durand Oak (Quercus sinuata)

The photos below are of a single Durand oak (Quercus durandii syn. Quercus sinuata). Photos were taken on November 23, 2019. You can read more about this individual here.

The Durand oak has bright orange fall coloration.

Tree of the Week: Durand Oak (Quercus sinuata)

Our tree of the week is a lesser known native oak. It is found in isolated areas of the deep south and parts of Texas. In the arboretum, we have it labeled as Durand oak (Quercus durandii), but it seems the nomenclature and signage is out of fashion. The current dominant scientific name is Quercus sinuata. Among people who might know a thing or two about our southern oaks, the tree also goes by the impolite name of 'bastard oak.'

The arboretum's singular Durand oak is pictured center. Its slender trunk is distinct, while its foliage blends in with the surrounding greenery. In February of 1998, Professor Ed Leuck acquired this specimen from John Mayronne of Covington, Louisiana. The following autumn it was planted in this full-sun location, which isn't too far uphill from one of the arboretum's main drainage channels.

The Durand oak is in the white oak group. Its leaves are simple, lobed, dark green, and smooth.

Beneath, leaves are pale green.

Leaves measure approximately 4 inches in length.

Durand oak leaves vary in shape, and they are often asymmetrical.

The arboretum's Durand oak is more than twenty years old. It is still short in stature, but this week we noticed that the little oak tree is growing up. Immature fruits were spotted on its branches.

We will keep an eye on these young acorns as they develop over the summer. Hopefully we can snap pictures of the mature fruits in the fall.

The dark gray trunk bark is rough, but most branches still have relatively smooth bark.

For more information about this species consult the following online sources:
Alabama Plant Atlas
United States Department of Agriculture (zoom-in on distribution map)
Virginia Tech Dendrology
Texas A&M University (Aggie Horticulture)