Pins, Nametags, & Merchandise

In the PBS show BBQ with Franklin, Aaron Franklin states, “Generally, with barbeque you typically use whatever’s around. Here in Central Texas, I’ve got a lot of post oak and that’s what I like to use.” Being a primary fuel for the perfect smelling smoke and tasty briskets is just one of the many qualities of post oak (Quercus stellata), the inaugural TMN service pin issued in 2002.

A member of the beech family, post oak is the most common oak of over fifty different species in Texas; however, it is not the Texas state tree. That honor goes to the pecan tree. Post oaks do have the honor of being so common that they have an entire ecoregion named after them—the Post Oak Savanna—which runs through Central Texas between the Pineywoods region of East Texas and the Blackland Prairies region.

Post oak leaves are dark green and shiny on the upper surface, and lighter green with star (stellata) shaped hairs beneath. They are simple, alternate, four-to-six inches long, typically five-lobed, and often form a cross shape, hence one of its alternate names—cross oak. Acorn production begins when the tree is about twenty-five years old and once dropped take an entire season to mature.

A true Texas native, the post oak is one tough hombre. Found in dry, rocky, or sandy soil, it still grows up to fifty feet tall, with some living to be more than four centuries old. Post oak can survive scorching summers, bitter cold fronts, and drought. The wood is heavy, hard, and strong, giving it another moniker of iron oak, and it is primarily used for fence posts, hence the post oak name. Its bark, irregular arching crown, and dense foliage give this long-lived tree a distinct and dignified character.

By Ian Townsend – Alamo Area Chapter of Texas Master Naturalist

https://txmn.org/files/2018/04/2002oakleaf.png