Location: Meadows, Gallery, Woodland Trail
In Bloom: April and May

Quercus lyrata, the overcup oak, is a medium-sized tree known for producing acorns with caps which cover almost all of the nut. It is very tolerant of wet conditions, which makes it a favorite of those who attempt to restore bottomlands. It’s an ecologically valuable tree, giving shelter for songbirds and providing many animals with periodic abundances of fat/starch rich acorns. These acorn beneficiaries include deer, squirrels, rabbits, woodpeckers, turkeys and waterfowl. The overcup oak is also a host plant for the Imperial moth, Eacles imperialis—the largest moth found at Glenstone, with a wingspan of six inches! At Glenstone, look along the woodland trail to see the overcup in its natural setting, and then look at the formal half-allée of overcups which stretches along Gallery Road.