Bur oak is named for the characteristic fringed cup around its acorn. Bur oak offers large, beautiful leaves and acorns. During winter, it fully reveals its rough, gray bark. The massive root system of the bur oak is said to be a mirror reflection of the trunk and branch system above ground.
The black oak is a stately oak that was introduced to commerce as early as 1800. It can reach a height of more than 100 feet. The very prominent tap root of black oak ensures this species’ survival under poor growing conditions. The specific epithet, velutina, is derived from the Latin word for fleece, wool or down, vellus, which refers to this species’ velvety winter buds and young foliage.
American beech is a distinctive and elegant forest tree in Kentucky and throughout eastern North America. In early spring new leaves emerge from buds as feathery tassels. Winter, however, emphasizes this tree’s other notable attributes – its long, thin, pointed, brown leaf buds and its smooth, thin, light gray, “wrinkled” bark that resembles an elephant’s hide.