Scientific Name
Quercus spp.
Common Name
Oak

CAUSES ONLY LOW TOXICITY IF EATEN.

Characteristics

Family
Fagaceae
Plant Description
Evergreen or deciduous trees; leaves alternate and simple, variously shaped in different species; pollen flowers in drooping, elongated clusters; fruit an acorn.
Origin
USA, NC, Eurasia.
Distribution
Throughout and cultivated.
Where Found
Forest or natural areas; landscape as ornamental and shade trees.
Mode
Ingestion.
Poisonous Part
Acorns (seeds of nuts) and young leaves.
Symptoms
Stomach pain, constipation and later bloody diarrhea, excessive thirst and urination
Edibility
EDIBLE PARTS: Acorns (nuts) are edible after tannins are leached or boiled out. HARVEST TIME: Only collect nutsfrom areas you know have NOT been treated with pesticides. Gather nuts during the fall from September to October. Only gather the ripe tan-to-brown acorns, rather than the unripe green ones. SAFE HANDLING PROCEDURES: Wash nuts thoroughly with warm water. Do not use dish detergent or any type of sanitizer. These products can leave a residue. To remove bitterness, shell the brown, ripe acorns and remove any corky skin layers, dice the meat, and boil the chunks in water from 15 to 30 minutes until the water turns brown. Then pour off the water and repeat the process until the water clears, indicating that the tannic acid has been removed. During the last boiling, salt water can be added; then the acorns can be deep fried or mixed in a soup. Finely chopped acorn meats can be added to bread doughs and muffin batters. After the leaching process, acorn meat can be frozen. To make flour, the boiled acorn meat can be split in two and dried by slowly baking in a 200 degree oven with the door cracked to allow moisture to escape. Crush or grind and use as a thickener or a flour. Another method is to roast the fresh acorn to work well in a grinder or blender. After grinding, place the flour into a cloth bag and boil to leach out bitterness. Leached acorns, after they are roasted until brittle, can be ground and used as a marginal coffee substitute. SOURCE: Larson, Ken. 1995. God's Free Harvest, Rhema Publishing, Inc., Suwanee, GA. 231 pp.
Toxic Principle
Gallotannins, quercitrin, and quercitin.
Severity
CAUSES ONLY LOW TOXICITY IF EATEN.

"Poisonous Plants of North Carolina," Dr. Alice B. Russell, Department of Horticultural Science; Dr. James W. Hardin, Botany; Dr. Larry Grand, Plant Pathology; and Dr. Angela Fraser, Family and Consumer Sciences; North Carolina State University. All Pictures Copyright @1997Alice B. Russell, James W. Hardin, Larry Grand. Computer programming, Miguel A. Buendia; graphics, Brad Capel.

Disclaimer: The list of poisonous plants on this web site does not necessarily include every poisonous plant that is known, or that might be found in an urban landscape or home. North Carolina State University does not advise eating any of the plants included in this web site. The information concerning edibility is taken from the literature, and the degree of reliability is unknown. We discourage the use of any of these plants for self medication. In cases of accidental exposure or ingestion, contact the Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222.

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