Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor)
Identifying Features
Plant Family: Fagaceae
Native Range: Eastern and Central North America
Leaf: deciduous, alternate, simple, round-toothed leaves up to 7 inches long, green above and white below
Twig and Bud: terminal buds are very small, branchlets flakey, branches have flares of bark
Flower, Fruit and Seed: acorns develop in one season on a long stem of 1-3 inches, caps small and scaly
Bark: mature bark ridged and furrowed with light gray color
Shape and Mature Height: broad and round-topped, mature height 60-80 feet
Garden Value and Considerations
Swamp white oak prefers acidic soils and full sun. It makes a good addition to wet areas, but is also drought tolerant.
Notes
As the name suggests, swamp white oaks are often found in swamps, wetlands, wet woods, and bottomlands. The epithet, bicolor, refers to the two-tone color of the leaves. The undersides of the leaves are the whitest of any tree in the white oak group.
White oak group acorns tend to be more digestible and desirable for wildlife. Acorns provide an important source of energy and nutrition in the autumn and winter when other foods are less available. Acorns are such a significant food source that some animal species change where they spend time or adjust the size of their home range depending on the availability of acorns.
Oak trees support a wide array of invertebrates which in turn become a source of food to many animals. Some oak-supported invertebrates provide pollination services for other plants.
