Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa), familiarly known as “Mossycup Oak” because of a distinctive fringed cup that encloses its acorn, is a superior shade tree. Plant one today and your grandchildren, indeed great-grandchildren, will thank you. With a growth rate of about one foot per year, and reaching a height and spread at maturity of roughly 70-80 feet in our area, one must exercise patience when growing this long-lived tree. However, be assured it’s worth the wait, because Bur Oak has many desirable traits suitable for the Northern Plains.

This somewhat quirky, sun-worshiping tree, native to eastern Montana, has a vigorous tap root, one of the reasons it withstands our regional drying winds and fares well in a variety of soils—from sandy to clay. Besides drought tolerant, it is also very cold hardy. With easy-care plants that thrive in low water situations being on many radar screens these days, Bur Oak has attracted attention. If you want to take a look for yourself at one that’s probably 60 years old and has had little attention, visit the tennis court area in Big Timber’s Lions Park. If you get there in the fall you might even pick up a few “mossy” acorns.

Besides its charming acorn, we appreciate Bur Oak’s deeply ridged and furrowed bark. Be warned however that it’s best not to spread the word around that you’ve planted a Bur Oak, since its wood is highly sought after. So go about it quietly, and if you’ve enough space, you might as well plant two so someone in the future can doubly sing praises to your foresight when napping in the shade!