Mongolian Oak (Quercus mongolica) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Mongolian Oak is an East Asian tree that can also be grown in cold parts of the United States. Its broad leaves have rounded, wavy lobes and an almost stalkless, ear-shaped base.

Appearance

Appearance: This tree can reach about 98 ft (30 m). The gray to dark bark develops lengthwise furrows.
Growth form: It grows as a large tree with a broad, irregular crown.
Leaves: Leaves are usually widest above the middle, with rounded wavy teeth and a very short stalk. The base often forms two small ear-like lobes.
Fruit: The acorn is about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) long, with a rough cup beneath it.

Look-alikes

Bur OakQuercus macrocarpa

Bur Oak leaves often narrow deeply around the middle, giving them a pinched shape. Mongolian Oak leaves have broad, shallow waves along the edges.

Why they get mixed upBoth are oaks with broad leaves and rounded edges in U.S. collections.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: temperate mixed forests
mountain slopes
Range: It is native from northern China and Mongolia through Korea, Japan, and the Russian Far East. It is cultivated rather than native in the United States.
Preferred conditions: In its native range, it grows in temperate forests and mountain woods.

Life cycle

Reproduction: Male and female flowers grow on the same tree, and the acorns mature later in the growing season.

Growing it

Care: It is grown in U.S. collections and landscapes and can grow in 3–8.

Name and classification

About the name: Japanese oak (Quercus mongolica var. crispula), also called mizunara, is a variety of Mongolian Oak.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction

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