Back 40 Pin Oak

My squirrel-planted Pin oak (Quercus palustris) enters its second year. The twig-like sapling is 7″ tall; this terminal bud is about a quarter of inch long.

I had two of these last year in my Back 40. One I yanked accidently during a weeding frenzy. I replanted it when I saw what I had done, but soon enough it was overthrown. There was, however, another, which I left alone. It has come through the winter, such as it was. There were five leaves on it last year.

Now, you may be saying to yourself, that’s no Pin oak leaf! (Come on, say it.) I said the same myself until I saw some trunk-budding leaves coming off a verified Pin oak that looked just like these, not at all like the mature tree’s leaves.