Bur Oak
Quercus macrocarpa
If you find yourself sneezing in
spring, you may not have a bad cold, you may have an allergy to
tree pollen. Trees that are pollinated by the wind, like the oaks,
are the main cause of spring allergies. Scientists don't know which
of the oaks are responsible, but they believe bur oaks may cause
some springtime hay fever. Bur oaks don't begin to flower until
they are about thirty years old. After that they flower heavily
every two to three years for about a month in spring. Lots of flowers
means a fall harvest of acorns for deer, squirrels, turkeys, rabbits,
and other wildlife. You can usually tell a bur oak by its rough,
scaly bark and thick gnarled branches. It is so tough it was once
made into wagon axles, whiskey barrels, and ship decks. Bur oaks
grow well on the central plains because their corky bark makes them
resistant to natural prairie fires. Bur oaks live very long lives.
They go on making flowers and acorns for centuries. Some of the
oldest bur oaks alive today were young trees when the U.S. Declaration
of Independence was signed in 1776.
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