Compton Hollow Conservation Area is located in Webster County. Visitors can access this 840-acre area from Compton Hollow Road, where two parking lots are located about 0.75 mile apart.
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Scientific Name
Quercus stellata
Family
Fagaceae (oaks)
Description
Post oak is a small to medium-sized tree with a broad, rounded crown and stout, sometimes contorted branches.
Leaves are alternate, simple, 4–7 inches long, 3–4 inches wide, leathery; with 3–5 lobes, middle lobes squarish, resembling a cross, the end lobe often 3-notched, notches between lobes deep, rounded; upper surface dark green; lower surface paler, with tiny star-shaped hairs.
Bark is gray, irregularly grooved, ridges narrow, rough with platelike scales.
Twigs are stout, densely hairy during most of the season.
Flowers April–May. Male and female flowers are on the same tree; male flowers in drooping catkins, female flowers small and in leaf axils.
Fruits September–October, acorns solitary or paired; nut brown, broadest at the base and tapering to a rounded tip ½–¾ inch long, less than ½ inch wide; cup covering ⅓–½ of the nut, bowl-shaped, hairy on the outside; scales thick, flattened, or somewhat indented, hairy; acorns ripen in autumn of the first year.
Size
Height: to 70 feet.
Where To Find
Statewide.
Habitat and Conservation
Occurs in mostly dry to rocky upland woodlands and glades; also in flatwoods on broad ridges and lowland terraces where it is typically the dominant tree. A slow-growing, drought-resistant tree, it is difficult to transplant and does better on sites where it is already found growing. Post oaks can live 300 years or more.
Human Connections
The wood is used for railroad ties, furniture, general construction, and fuel. The limbs are sturdy and durable and were favored by pioneers for fence posts, hence the name; this tree played an important role in the success of American pioneers. The bark of most oaks, including this one, has astringent properties, and bark tea was used to treat a number of ailments.
Ecosystem Connections
Acorns are eaten by blue jays, woodpeckers, wood ducks, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse, bobwhites, mice, squirrels, raccoons, and deer.
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Media Gallery
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Caption
Post oak (Quercus stellata) leaf.
Credit
Paul Nelson
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Use of this image is restricted to MDC only
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Credit
Jim Rathert
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Photo by Jim Rathert, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
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Caption
Post oak (Quercus stellata) acorn.
Credit
Paul Nelson
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Use of this image is restricted to MDC only
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Credit
MDC Staff
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Photo by MDC Staff, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
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Caption
Post oak branches are stout and sometimes contorted. Their shapes are easy to see in fall and winter.
Credit
Mark Grueber
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Photo by Mark Grueber, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
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Caption
All oak flowers are similar in appearance and emerge in early spring as the new leaves are expanding. Male and female flowers appear on the same tree.
Credit
Paul Nelson
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Credit
Submitted by Deborah Morgenthaler
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Caption
Post oak leaves have a unique shape, with squarish middle lobes, resembling a cross. Or maybe they look like ghosts.
Credit
Julianna Schroeder
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Post oak leaves may vary somewhat in shape, but once you get their basic look in mind, they're easy to spot.
Credit
Julianna Schroeder
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Similar Species
Similar Species
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Where to See Species
This 280 acre area was acquired in 1965 from the University of Missouri. The area is open to hunting and there are opportunities for wildlife viewing.
William R. Logan Conservation Area is in Lincoln County, five miles north of Silex.
Perry County Community Lake is located about two miles west of Perryville and can be accessed from Route T and from the Interstate 55 west outer road.
MDC, in cooperation with the citizens of Perry Co
The Conservation Department purchased this property in 1978 from Oscar and Eloise W.
About Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines in Missouri
There are no sharp dividing lines between trees, shrubs, and woody vines, or even between woody and nonwoody plants. “Wood” is a type of tissue made of cellulose and lignin that many plants develop as they mature — whether they are “woody” or not. Trees are woody plants over 13 feet tall with a single trunk. Shrubs are less than 13 feet tall, with multiple stems. Vines require support or else sprawl over the ground.