The shrub is of minor importance as a browse species. Bur oak is a hardy, long-lived tree that is adapted to a wide range of soils. Under favorable conditions, it may attain a height of 15 to 20 metres but on dry sites it is reduced to a small scrubby tree. A taprooted species, the bur oak takes a few years to establish after transplanting but will grow at a moderate rate thereafter. The bark is gray and flaky, becoming deeply furrowed as the tree matures.
Branches often have corky ridges or wings.
The leaves are dark, shiny green above, grayish white and slightly wooly beneath, and are deeply cut with rounded lobes. The bur oak provides a staple food for jays, flickers and chipmunks. Game birds such as wild turkey, ruffed grouse and wood duck use bur oak for cover as well as food. Mule and whitetail deer browse the twigs and foliage and eat the acorns. Choke cherry is a native shrub or small tree that occurs throughout the Prairie provinces.