Bur Oak

Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)

Common Name(s): Bur Oak, Burr Oak, Mossycup Oak

Scientific Name: Quercus macrocarpa

Distribution: Eastern and Midwestern United States

Tree Size: 80-100 ft (24-30 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 46 lbs/ft³ (745 kg/m³)

Basic Specific Gravity: .57

Hardness: 1,370 lb_f (6,090 N)

Rupture Strength: 10,300 lb_f/in² (71,000 kPa)

Elastic Strength: 1,030,000 lb_f/in² (7,100 MPa)

Crushing Strength: 6,060 lb_f/in² (41.8 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 4.4%, Tangential: 8.8%, Volumetric: 12.7%, T/R Ratio: 2.0

Color/Appearance: Has a light to medium brown color, though there can be a fair amount of variation in color. Conversely, Red Oak tends to be slightly redder, but is by no means a reliable method of determining the type of Oak.

Grain/Pore: Has medium-to-large pores and a fairly coarse grain.

Endgrain: Ring-porous; 2-4 rows of large, exclusively solitary earlywood pores, numerous small to very small latewood pores in radial arrangement; tyloses abundant; growth rings distinct; rays large and visible without lens; apotracheal parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates (short lines between rays).

Durability: Bur Oak has been rated as having very good resistance to decay.

Workability: Easy to glue, and takes stain and finishes very well.

Scent: Has a tell-tale smell that is common to most oaks. Most find it appealing.

Safety: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, oak has been reported as a sensitizer. Usually most common reactions simply include eye and skin irritation. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Price/Availability: Slightly more expensive than Red Oak, White Oak is in good/sustainable supply and is moderately priced. Thicker 8/4 planks, or quartersawn boards are slightly more expensive per board foot.

Comments: Bur Oak falls into the white oak group, and shares many of the same traits as White Oak (Quercus alba). White Oak, along with its brother Red Oak, are commonly used domestic lumber species. Hard, durable, and moderately priced, White Oak presents an exceptional value to woodworkers—which explains why it is so widely used in cabinet and furniture making.

Related Species:

Black Oak (Quercus velutina)

Bog Oak

Brown Oak

California Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii)

Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda)

Chestnut Oak (Quercus prinus)

English Oak (Quercus robur)

Holm Oak (Quercus ilex)

Laurel Oak (Quercus laurifolia)

Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)

Oregon White Oak (Quercus garryana)

Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata)

Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)

Post Oak (Quercus stellata)

Red Oak (Quercus rubra)

Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea)

Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea)

Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata)

Swamp Chestnut Oak (Quercus michauxii)

Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor)

Turkey Oak (Quercus cerris)

Water Oak (Quercus nigra)

White Oak (Quercus alba)

Willow Oak (Quercus phellos)