Common Names Include Mossy Cup and Scrub Oak

Bur Oak Tree

(Quercus macrocarpa)

and the

Wild Rose

(Rosa arkansana)

Julie J. Bahl

Life Science

March 2013

Bur Oak Tree

(Quercus macrocarpa)

- Common names include mossy cup and scrub oak

- Deciduous tree, whose leaves turn dull yellow to yellow brown in the fall.

- Typically grows to a height of 50’-75’, however can grow up to 100’ tall

- Can grow 40-70’ in width

- Very slow growth rate, but can live 200-400 years

- Grown on dry uplands and slopes, stream terraces, floodplains

- Leaves are alternate, simple, lobed

- Leaves are dark green above, light green to gray below

- Fruit is an acorn, which is ¾” - 1-1/2”, enclosed in a deep cup with a fringe

- Does not produce seeds until it is 35 years old.

- Seeds are produced every 2-3 years.

- Bark is dark gray, rough, and the older trees are deeply ridged.

- Very drought resistant, since it has a very deep and extensive root system.

The Bur Oak is the state tree of Iowa. Historically, it is found on the prairie-forest borders. Its thick bark makes it fire resistant, so it could withstand the prairie fires that used to sweep across the plains. It grows in large groves, which made it a favorite homesite for the early Iowa settlers.

It is used in the lumber industry to produce high quality oak lumber and veneer for the furniture industry.

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Wild Rose

(Rosa arkansana)

- this is a bushy flower that grows 1’ to 3’ tall

- Vascular seed plant, angiosperm (flowering plant)

- very drought tolerant, and recovers well from prairie fires

- prefers soil that is sandy or loam, and grows best in full sun to partial shade

- common through the mid-west area of North America, in prairies and meadows

Common Names:

Prairie Rose, Arkansas Rose, Sunshine Rose, Dwarf Prairie Roase, Prairie Wild Rose

Leaves: - alternate, pinnately compound with 5-7 leaflets, up to 1” in length

- Margins are coarsely toothed.

Flowers: - five-petal flowers, 1-1/2” to 2” in diameter

- pink, ranging from very light pink to a dark raspberry pink

- blooms from May to August, pollinated by insects (attracts butterflies)

Fruit: - Rose Hips: the fruit which forms at the base of the flower, ½” – ¾” dia.

- Used for medicinal purposes & as food

- high in vitamin C, E, K, pectin, beta-carotene & anti-oxidants

- enhances immune system, improves blood pressure, cholesterol, digestive efficiency, and helps with weight management

Roots: - spread by rhizomes

- roots are very stout, and may be 10-12 feet deep in the soil

Other information:

The Rosa arkansana is the state flower of Iowa and North Dakota, and for the province of Ontario It is a very old species, going back 35 million years.

The rose has been used throughout history for variety of medicinal purposes. The Romans used it to treat rabid dog bites. Native Americans like the Omaha’s used it for eye inflammation. The Chippewa’s used the inner bark to treat cataracts. The Pawnees dressed burns and used it for stomach trouble. The Arapaho’s used it as a diuretic and for muscle pain. Even today it is used to treat diarrhea and sore throats. The rose hips can be stewed, candied, made into preserves, eaten raw or made in to tea. The petals can be eaten in salads or may be candied.

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