The Sovereign pin oak is differentiated from the species due to its lower branches being carried horizontal to the trunk rather than drooping. Its dense branching habit in an arc of angles makes its crown appear very much like a crown. Unfortunately, due to grafting challenges in propagation, this cultivar is not readily available in the trade.

The genus Quercus includes more than 600 species of the oak tree, of which 90 are native to North America; the Chicago Botanic Garden's collection contains more than 60 varieties and over 1,000 individual trees. Twenty oak species are native to Illinois.

Oaks are slow growing, long lived, hard wood trees that produce fruit we all know as acorns. Within the white oak group, acorns mature annually; in the red oak group, acorns take two years to mature (biennial). Oaks are often imposing shade trees at maturity and provide habitat and food for a variety of wildlife.