I am seriously contemplating of joining the oak society. Yes, there is such a thing. I am thinking...thinking...gotta pay the membership fee...seriously thinking... In the meantime, this is the Quercus macrocarpa, also known as Bur Oak, Mossycup Oak or Mossy overcup oak. And to everyone who has access to oak acorn and leaf specimen, tell me about them and I will illustrate them. If you send me acorn and leaf specimen I will appreciate that very much. Thank you! Thank you Rick Forrestal for reminding me of the Bur Oak which I have actually illustrated several times in the past, here and here.
Archival black and colored micropigment ink on 2.5"x3.5 Bristol Board. Below, the ATC are set on black archival acide-free mat boards. Drawing the colored leaf required 12 different colored pigment pens because unlike water colors or colored pencils, pigment ink do not blend well.
Quercus macrocarpa
Family Fagaceae
The Bur Oak is a tree with very large acorns, stout trunk, and broad, rounded open crown of stout, often crooked spreading branches but sometimes it is grown as a shrub. Height: 50 to 80 feet. Diameter: 2-4 feet. The large acorns, 3/4 to 2 inches, have very deep fringed cups, the largest of all native oaks. The name describes the cup of the acorn which resembles the bur of Chestnut. The Bur Oak is the northernmost New World oak. In the west it is a pioneer tree, bordering and invading prairie grasslands. It is planted for shade, ornament and shelterbelts. The leaves are 4 to 10 inches long and 2 to 5 inches wide. Wow! That's a big leaf! It is obovate, broadest beyond the middle, lower half deeply divided into 2 to 3 lobes on each side. It turns yellow or brown in the fall.
