|                    Water oak
                      |  
              
                |                    Quercus nigra  
                      |  
              
                |                    Fagaceae 
                      |  
  
              
                 Landscape Uses:
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                 Accent tree in moist to wet soils. | 
               
                Ecological Restoration Notes:  | 
               
              
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                | Availability: | 
               
              
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                 Available at native plant nurseries in northeast and central Florida. | 
               
              
                | Description: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Medium to large tree; deciduous | 
               
              
                | Height: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Typically 30-50 feet; to 128 feet in Florida | 
               
              
                | Growth Rate: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Fast. | 
               
              
                | Range: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Eastern and central United States west to Texas and south to Broward and Collier counties. For a digitized image of Elbert Little's Florida range map, visit the  Exploring Florida website. | 
               
              
                | Habitats: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Moist hammocks. | 
               
              
                | Soils: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Moist to seasonally wet, moderately well-drained to poorly-drained sandy or organic soils, with humusy top layer. | 
               
              
                | Nutritional Requirements: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive. | 
               
              
                | Salt Water Tolerance: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water. | 
               
              
                | Salt Wind Tolerance: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Low; salt wind may burn the leaves. | 
               
              
                | Drought Tolerance: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Moderate to low; requires moist to wet soils, but tolerant of short periods of drought once established. | 
               
              
                | Light Requirements: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Full sun. | 
               
              
                | Flower Color: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Green. | 
               
              
                | Flower Characteristics: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Inconspicuous.  Pollination is by wind. | 
               
              
                | Flowering Season: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Spring | 
               
              
                | Fruit: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Brown acorn.  Edible. | 
               
              
                | Wildlife and Ecology: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Provides significant food and cover for wildlife.  Larval host plant for Horace's dusky wing (Erynnis horactius), red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops) and white-M hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album) butterflies.  The acorns are utilized by squirrels. | 
               
                     
                | Horticultural Notes: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Can be grown from seed. | 
               
              
                | Comments: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 For a digitized image of Elbert Little's Florida range map, visit the Exploring Florida website. | 
               
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