Sand Post Oak is a deciduous shrub or small tree native to the southeastern U.S.A. from VA south to FL and west to TX. It is most commonly found in sandhills on open ridges, sandhill scrubs, and woods. It generally grows 30-40 feet tall or taller and is a slow-growing sometimes scrubby tree. It may take 20-30 years to produce acorns. Sand Post Oak prefers sandy to gravelly soils in sun and is drought tolerant once established. It is occasionally used as a shade tree and to help stabilize sandy slopes. It is a host plant for the larvae of the Imperial moth ( Eacles imperialis ) , as well as numerous butterflies, including Banded hairstreak ( Satyrium calanus ) , Edward's hairstreak ( Satyrium edwardsii ) , Gray hairstreak ( Strymon melinus ) , White-m hairstreak ( Parrhasius malbum ) , Horace's duskywing ( Erynnis horatius ) , and Juvenalis duskywing ( Erynnis juvenalis ) .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Occasionally Dry | Very Dry
NC region
Coastal
Growth rate
Slow
Canopy layer
2 - Understory
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Erect; Rounded
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf margin
Lobed
Leaf feel
Leathery
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Leaves are 2-4 inches long and 1-2 inches wide with a 3-5 irregularly lobed margin, base cuneate to rounded, apex broadly rounded. Thick textured. Shiny dark green above, light green and pubescent below.
Flower color
Green
Flower form
Catkin; Insignificant
Flower detail
Male flowers light green catkins, female flowers short reddish spikes
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Nut
Fruit detail
Acorns are 1/2 inch long, light brown with a bowl-shaped cap that has thin scales and covers 1/3 to 1/2 of the acorn. They are sessile or have a short stalk. Mature in one year, ripen in fall.
Bark color
Light Brown; Light Gray
Bark detail
Gray to gray-brown, scaly initially and later developing vertical ridges and becoming darker.
Stem color
Gray/Silver
Stem detail
Smooth slender gray twigs with a reddish-brown terminal bud, ovoid with pointed apex, smooth or sparsely pubescent.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Central and southeastern U.S.A.
Distribution
AL , AR , FL , GA , LA , MO , MS , NC , OK , SC , TX , VA
Wildlife value
Oak trees support a wide variety of Lepidopteran. You may see Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed. Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus), which have one flight from June-August everywhere but Florida where they emerge April-May. Edward's Hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii), has one flight from May-July in the south and June-July in the north. Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), has three to four flights in the south from February-November and two flights in the north from May-September. White-M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album) has three broods in the north from February-October. Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) has three broods in Texas and the deep south from January-November, and two broods in the north from April-September. Juvenal’s Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis) has one brood from April-June, appearing as early as January in Florida. Butterflies use this tree as a larval host. Birds and small mammals use this tree as a food source.
Attracts
Butterflies; Moths; Pollinators; Small Mammals; Songbirds
Play value
Wildlife Food Source; Wildlife Larval Host
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Nut
Uses (ethnobotany)
The wood is used for mining timbers, railroad ties, flooring, fence posts and siding.