52. Bur Oak

Tree Tour

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Angling around south of Denny hall, past a lovely pink-dogwood, you come into a shaded corner dominated by a bur oak more than 80 feet tall, whose straight, stout trunk develops into huge limbs high out of reach. Look up at its broad arms, bearing large leaves dark green on top, pale underneath, distinctive with their narrow "waists." Bur oak is so-called since its acorns are in bristly husks. Also called prairie oak, it is native in central and eastern North America, and is the state tree of Illinois.

Pictured below: Map of geographical range of Bur Oak.

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