Leaves are simple, alternate, leathery, shiny and persist over winter. On young trees, leaves may be shallowly lobed or pronged. Twigs are red-brown and smooth.
Buds are ovoid, smooth and red-brown.
Bark is dark gray and smooth, becoming shallowly grooved with age. The acorn matures in two seasons. Laurel oak is found on a variety of sites including dry to flooded sites in the southeastern Coastal Plain. Laurel oak is distinguished from water oak by a thicker leaf, bristle-tipped apex and a prominent yellow midvein below. Willow oak leaves are thinner, longer and with hairs on the midrib.