Pin Oak: Quercus palustris
One of the many jewels that we have at Enslow Middle School is a row of maple and oak trees in front of our school, lining Collis Avenue (names for Collis P. Huntington). There are nine trees total, seven maple and two oak that provide a solid canopy of vibrant green leaves to shade the front of the school on its north face. All of these trees are mature and their age rivals that of the school's 1917 beginnings. I have been told there are photos of the school with these trees as saplings, but I'm still trying to uncover those treasures. I will try to supply a comparative photo if possible.
The leaves' lobes alternate, are simple, 3 to 6 inches long, oval in outline with 5 to 9 bristle-tipped lobes and irregularly deep sinuses that extend nearly to the midrib. Major lobes form a U-shape. They are bright green above and pale below. Oaks are hardwood trees, but generally are not considered for high quality products because of numerous small knots through its wood. Pin Oaks produce acorns in the fall that are a vital part of mallards and wood duck's diet as they migrate during the fall.
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| A view of the tree across Collis Avenue |
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| The trunk is 12' round at chest height and is approximately 20' tall. The canopy easily doubles the height of the tree. |
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| Gray- fissured bark |
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| The leaves have at lest five lobes and reddish-brown stems. |
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| Pin oak is the second tree in the row. A maple tree in the foreground. |
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