Cherrybark Oak
Quercus pagoda
- Native to:
- United States
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Fagaceae
- Genus:
- Quercus
- Species:
- Quercus pagoda
- USDA Symbol:
- QUPA5
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Tree
- Height:
- 3000 cm
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- mar,apr,may
Wildlife Benefits
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★★ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, squirrels, deer, wild turkey
- Fall Color:
- red, brown
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Mature trees can survive low-intensity fires due to thick bark; resprouts vigorously from the root crown after top-kill.
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–28 days
- Notes:
- Acorns germinate readily after cold stratification; plant immediately after collection for best results as they lose viability quickly.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Seeds are sown in late January with a mechanical seeder. Desired field density ranges from 54 to 65 acorns/ m2 (5 to 6 acorns/ ft2) to 100 to 160 seedlings/sq m (15 to 16/ sq ft).
Establishment: Seeds are purchased from local people who collect within a 50 mile radius of the nursery. They are wild collected during fall months and are kept separated according to site, elevation and source.
Source: npn.rngr.net