Wood: The
light brown wood is hard, heavy, coarse-grained, and strong (but not as
strong as red oak). It is occasionally used for general construction and
as posts, but the wood is often too knotty for use as lumber due to the
numerous lateral branches. The wood is good for firewood and the bark is
used as a yellow dye, for tanning and as a medicinal astringent.
Wildlife: The acorns, which are often available near water, are eaten by wood ducks and mallards. White-tail deer, turkeys, quail, squirrels and small rodents also feed on the acorns. The leaves persist into winter and offer winter cover for many wildlife species.
Horticulture: The pin oak is an excellent shade tree and perhaps the most popular native oak used for landscaping in Iowa. It has shallow, fibrous roots that make it easy to transplant; handsome, glossy summer foliage; and an attractive pyramidal shape. It is ideal for larger spaces in parks, golf courses and commercial landscape settings. 'Crown Right' has a more upright habit with branches at a 30- to 60-degree angle that do not reach the ground.
