Quercus acutissima (Sawtooth Oak)

Quercus acutissima, the sawtooth oak, is a deciduous tree native from the Himalayas through China and mainland Southeast Asia to Korea and Japan. It can grow to about fifty feet tall and has sharply toothed leaf margins. Its small flowers are followed by acorns with cups bearing long, recurved scales. Widely planted in the United States for ornament and wildlife food, it has escaped cultivation and established in nearby forests in parts of the eastern United States. Wisconsin classifies it as a prohibited invasive species. Photographed in Virginia.