Sun or partial shade. Deciduous. A multi-stemmed oak native to the Texas Hill Country, typically forming hilltop thickets. The lobed leaves are widest above the middle of the leaf, rather than at the base. It can be distinguished from Lacey oak by the shaggy gray bark, which flakes off in strips.
Called shin oak or scrub oak due to its low height especially when growing in clonal thickets; it is closely related to Durand oak Quercus sinuata var. sinuata.
As a white oak, this species is considered somewhat resistant to oak wilt fungus, with damage often limited to single branches. However entire colonies can be affected and killed when they are connected underground. Take appropriate precautions when pruning: paint all wounds within 30 minutes of cutting to protect from nitidulid beetles. The best practice is to wait until they are dormant conduct pruning in winter, before February 1 (NEVER in springtime).
A thicket-forming small Hill Country oak, usually multi-trunked.
