Location: Flynn Park, continue walking in a diagonal line

The post oak is in the white oak group. It is a medium to large tree, 35-60 feet tall. It is native to the eastern United States, from Connecticut to southern Iowa and southwest Texas and southeast to northern Florida. The leathery leaves have three perpendicular lobes shaped like a Maltese Cross. The leaves are densely short-hairy underneath. The name post oak refers to the use of the dense wood for making fence posts. Its branching is lower and more diffuse so its wood is not valuable as sawn lumber. It is a popular wood for smoking “Texas barbeque.”