Common Species of Texas:  Q. alba (White Oak), Q. durandii (Durand's Oak), Q. falcata (Southern Red Oak), Q. incana (Bluejack Oak), Q. laurifolia (Laurel Oak), Q. macrocarpa (Bur Oak), Q. marilandica (Blackjack Oak), Q. mohriana (Mohr's Oak), Q. nigra (Water Oak), Q. phellos (Willow Oak), Q. prinoides (Chinquapin Oak), Q. shumardii (Shumard's Oak), Q. stellata (Post Oak), Q. velutina (Black Oak), Q. virginiana (Live Oak)

Oaks are one of the more common and admired trees in Texas. They are able to adapt to a wide variety of growth conditions due to copious hybridization among species, and shed large amounts of pollen from late February through April from worm-like, drooping catkins. There are about 60 species of oak in the U.S. and more than 30 species in Texas making it difficult to identify the species based on pollen alone. They are an important cause of spring allergies.