The orange inner bark is an important identifying characteristic even though you have to gouge with a knife to see it. Acorns are medium-sized, with a broadly rounded, downy nut, about half enclosed in a deep cup. The wood is coarse, hard, and heavy.
Black Oak is one of the most common eastern Oaks. It sets the parttern for Oaks with spiny leaves, dark bark, and acorns which take two years to ripen. Black Oak leaves are variable, dark and shiny with hairy veins. Those on the lower part of the tree are broader and have shallower lobes that the leaves higher on the trees.
