The post oak, a small, rugged tree, is noticeable in winter, because its
leaves usually hang on until the open buds in spring push them off. The
colour of this winter foliage is yellowish brown, and not at all striking
nor beautiful. The bark is brown and deeply furrowed. The twigs wear a
yellow fuzz. The leaves are coarse, stiff and rough, four to five inches
long, tapering from three broad, squarish lobes to a narrow base, and a
short leaf stalk. They are lined with brownish wool, and are dark green
and shining above in summer.
The acorns of the post oak are borne in a plentiful annual crop. Each is
dainty and trim, in a shallow cup of loose, blunt-pointed scales. The
kernel is sweet. In the days when wild game roamed the woods, wild
turkeys fattened on these acorns, and some people call the tree the
“turkey oak.”
Another name for this tree is “iron oak,” for its wood is hard, and
heavy, and close-grained. It makes admirable posts and railroad ties,
because it does not rot in contact with water. It is used in
boat-building, and for barrel staves. “Knees” of post oak (the angles
between trunk and branch) form most admirable timbers to be used in the
framework of boats.