Black Oak Seedlings

Black oak seedlings for sale here are Quercus velutina, the eastern native oak with deep-lobed leaves and acorns that feed everything from turkeys to black bears. We ship them bare-root at 6-12 inches, 12-18 inches and as a row run of mixed 6 to 24 inch seedlings, in packs of 100, 500 and 1000, for reforestation, wildlife plots, nurseries and large properties.

Black Oak Seedlings Size, Zones and Sun

Given time, a black oak stands 50 to 100 feet tall and nearly as wide, though it grows slowly. It's hardy in zones 3 to 9 and does best in full sun. Moist, slightly acidic, well-drained soil is ideal, and it copes with clay, sand, rocky ground and dry, poor sites.

Black Oak Leaves, Bark and Acorns

The leaves are glossy, deeply lobed and tipped with small bristles, turning yellow-brown to dull red in fall. The inner bark is yellow-orange, which once supplied a dye. Acorns run a half to three-quarters of an inch, with a cap covering about half the nut. Trees begin bearing around age 20 and drop a good crop every two or three years.

Black Oak and Wildlife

Woodpeckers, blue jays, wild turkeys, deer, squirrels and black bears all eat the acorns, and the tree hosts butterfly and moth caterpillars. Our guide to native trees for wildlife and pollinators shows what else to add to a wildlife planting.

Where to Plant Black Oak

Pick a spot with room to spread and sun overhead: field edges, wildlife plots, big lawns, ridges and reforestation blocks. Black oak takes dry, thin soil well, so it suits slopes that struggle to hold other trees. Allow 12 to 15 feet between seedlings in a habitat block and 40 feet or more for a lone tree.

Planting Black Oak Seedlings Bare-root

Keep the roots wet until planting day. Dig the hole deep enough to let the taproot hang straight down, set the seedling at the depth it grew and firm the soil. Water well and mulch. A tube or wire cage keeps deer and rabbits off the young stem. Our planting and aftercare steps for tree seedlings covers the rest.

Buying Black Oak Seedlings in Bulk

At 12 by 12 feet about 300 trees fill an acre, so a pack of 100 covers a third of one and 1000 cover about three acres. Row run is the budget pick for acreage, a mix of 6 to 24 inch seedlings. The graded 6-12 and 12-18 inch sizes are more even, which suits nursery growers.

Good to Know About Black Oak Seedlings

Black oak wants acidic soil, and in alkaline ground the leaves can yellow from iron chlorosis, so test the pH first. Oak wilt and gypsy moth are the main threats, and pruning in winter lowers the oak wilt risk. Acorns and leaves are toxic to horses, so fence them out of oak plots. Growth is slow, and the first acorns are about two decades away.

Black Oak for Reforestation and Timber

Landowners plant black oak to rebuild woodland and, over the long haul, for timber and acorn crops. Mixing it with white oak and hickory spreads the mast across more years. Keep weeds back from each seedling for the first two or three years and survival goes up.

Black Oak Seedling Sizes, Packs and Shipping

Black oak seedlings ship bare-root in November, in 6-12 inch and 12-18 inch sizes or a 6 to 24 inch row run, in packs of 100, 500 and 1000. Volume pricing available. Browse more bare-root seedlings in our wholesale collection.