Bur oak can be identified by its fiddle-shaped leathery leaves, huge fringed acorns, thick and sometimes corky twigs, and deeply ridged bark. It is often a dominant savanna or woodland species in the Great Plains and Great Lakes regions, and its thick bark gives it excellent protection from wild prairie fires. As a result, it can be found in landscapes that historically were prone to fire, including habitat like that at Daughmer Savanna State Nature Preserve in Crawford County. In 2017, a core sample taken from this tree at approximately 4 feet high revealed that the earliest tree ring dates to 1692. It is possible that when Deputy Surveyor Hough passed through here in 1815, he camped under this very tree.