Sawtooth Oak
Arbor Walk #80, TreeKeeper ID #3239
The Sawtooth Oak is a medium sized deciduous tree, growing 40-60 feet tall with a broad-spreading, rounded crown. It is native to China, Korea and Japan and grows yellow-green flowers and oval acorns with spiny, scaly cups. The Sawtooth Oak is a species of oak that was imported as an ornamental tree from Asia in 1920. It produces acorns at a relatively young age which makes it a valuable tree for wildlife that feed on the acorns. It is generally considered a low-maintenance tree but may not be reliably hardy during St. Louis winters since it is not very tolerant of freezing weather.
| Common Name | Sawtooth Oak |
|---|---|
| Latin Name | Quercus acutissima |
| Indigenous Name(s) | |
| Cultivar/Variety | |
| Commercial Name |
Global Distribution
GPS Coordinates
N/A
Percent Concrete
N/A
Distance to Buildings
| Year | Close Building #1 | Close Building #2 | Close Building #3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Alumni House, 8.13 m | Gregg House, 18.86 m | Lien House, 41.45 m |
Distance to Other Species
| Year | Close Species #1 | Close Species # 2 | Close Species # 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Flowering Dogwood, 2.36 m | Flowering Dogwood, 3.41 m | Flowering Dogwood, 5.32 m |
Standard Measurements
| Year | Height (m) | DBH (cm) | Caliper (m) | Crown Diameter N-S (m) | Crown Diameter E-W (m) | Average Crown Diameter (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 17.3686 | 45.8 | N/A | 18.32 | 14.15 | 16.235 |
| 2023 | 20.09 | 72.4 | N/A | 16 | 12.4 | 14.2 |
Nests and Pests
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| 2020 | Dark algae on the entire tree Grey and green lichen on one face of the trunk 2 cankers: one with reddish fungus between some pieces of bark |
Leaf Identification
The Sawtooth Oak has simple, alternately arranged leaves. They are lanceolate in shape, with many parallel axillary veins on either side of the midrib that end at the margin in awns (bristles). The leaf is glossy dark green above and yellow-green below.
Twig and Bud Identification
The twig of the Sawtooth Oak is green-brown with pale, warty lenticels (pores). The buds are green and have many brown-tipped scales covered in white hairs. At the terminal bud, the buds are clustered.
Bark Identification
The bark is medium brown, with many vertical plates that give the impression of small hills and valleys along the bark.
Fruit Identification
The acorn of the Sawtooth Oak has many finger-like scales that curl out as the fruit ripens, eventually covering most of the nut. The nut will turn dark brown when mature in the fall.
Flower Identification
The Sawtooth Oak is monoecious, with male and female flowers growing separately on one tree. The staminate (male) flowers bloom in hanging catkins and the pistillate (female) flowers bloom in small spikes (flowers attached directly on peduncle). They are both yellow-green and bloom in mid-spring.
