No, it isn’t an epithet for poor, fatherless trees. It’s not even something you call your husband when you find him having an affair with a tree nymph. It’s the actual name for a tree native to Texas.
(For the record, I would never call our oak tree a bastard. We heart our trees.)
To be fair, the most common name for the Bastard Oak is Lacey Oak, which is much more dignified and curiously much more feminine. Actually, that name comes from Howard Lacey, who was the first person to collect specimens from the tree in Kerrville, Texas, on his home property.
It’s also known as the Canyon Oak, Rock Oak, Smoky Oak, and Mountain Oak—all of which seem much better than the alternative.
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