Turkey Oak it is. During our brief visit to the Nokiidaa Trail Link today, I came across a peculiar acorn with a furry appearance, unlike any I had encountered before. Initially, I was concerned that the oak tree may have been diseased. It wasn’t. It was fascinating to learn about the different ways nature can surprise us.
The acorn was relatively shallow and broad, and the cup was furry, definitely different from the smooth cup of the English Oak that I am very much used to. The large acorns take 18 months to mature after pollination. Acorns have a unique appearance, starting with an orange base that transitions into a green-brown tip. They are also characterized by a hairy acorn cup that resembles a mossy hat.
Well, the tree was not sick. It is just a different type of oak, a Turkey Oak (Quercus cerris). I found the tree on the Nokiidaa Trail Link growing on the side of the bridge along the creek, on the Aurora side of the trail.
Apparently, the Turkey Oak is a fast-growing tree, probably like the Poplar tree, reaching almost 40 meters in height when mature. Due to its fast-growing nature, the wood is usually of poorer quality than other slower-growing oak trees. However, the trees are very impressive looking, and if it weren’t for the distinctive acorn, I would never have known that it wasn’t the English Oak.
