Oaks and Acorns

An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus (Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The genus Quercus is native to the Northern Hemisphere, and includes deciduous and evergreen species extending from cool temperate to tropical latitudes in the Americas, Asia, Europe, and North Africa. North America contains the largest number of oak species, with approximately 90 occurring in the United States, while Mexico has 160 species of which 109 are endemic. The second greatest center of oak diversity is China, which contains approximately 100 species.