overcup oak
Quercus lyrata
MBG Plant of Merit 2019
USDA zones5 to 9
SunHandles full sun to partial shade
WaterHandles dry to wet soil
Size40 to 60 feet tall40 to 60 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Bloom color
- Yellow catkins (male); red spikes (female)
- Foliage color
- Gray/silver, green
- Soil types
- Loam, clay
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Overcup oak (Quercus lyrata) is a tree for specimen planting, rain gardens, and shade gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 5, or down to -20°F (-29°C). This plant likes full sun to part shade and dry to wet, loamy or clay soil. It grows slowly into a rounded crown and tolerates flooding. Deer usually look elsewhere for a meal. The acorn is almost entirely covered by its cup.
Pairs well with River birch, Big bluestem, and Autumn fern.
Native range
Central and southern United States.