Quercus phellos

Willow oak is a North American species in the red oak group (Lobatae) in the beech or Fagaceae family, and is native to the eastern and central United States from Long Island, south to northern Florida, and west to southernmost Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, and eastern Texas. The willow oak is long-lived, reaching up to 300 years old.

• It is distinguished from most other oaks by its leaves, which are shaped like willow leaves, 5–12 cm long and 1–2.5 cm broad.
• Fruit is a very small acorn, 8–12 mm long and almost as wide, with a shallow cup; it is one of the most prolific producers of acorns, an important food tree for squirrels, birds, and other animals in the forest.
• Twig has multiple very small terminal buds.