Swamp White Oak
 

Mature Size, Growth, Longevity

50-60' tall, 50-70' wide. Occasionally to 80-90' tall & 70-100' wide in the wild. Develops a broad, rounded, open crown on a short trunk. Numerous short branches. Slow-medium growth rate. Medium lifespan, 125-175 years.

Native Range

Kentucky Native — Native from Quebec to Georgia, and west to Michigan & Arkansas. Introduced in1800. Grows in the wild in lowland & swampy situations, in bottomlands, along streams, & in meadows. Native to N. KY. & much of W. KY.

Flower and Fruit Details

Flowers are monoecious, yellow-green male catkins pendant and clustered, April-May; female solitary. Fruits, Sept-Oct, are 3/4-1.5" acorns, often in pairs, each covered 1/3-1/2 by the involucre (acorn cup/cap). Acorns shiny, light brown nut, borne on a slender, 1-4" long peduncle stem. Yields food for songbirds & other wildlife.

Leaf and Bark Features

Deciduous: Alternate, simple leaves, 3-7" long, 1.25-4" wide, oblong-obovate, 5-10 pairs of coarse, obtuse teeth or short, rounded lobes around margin. Leaves are "bicolor": lustrous dark green on top and whitish tomentose/light green beneath. Yellow-bronze to yellow-brown fall color, occasionally some red to purple tints. Flaky, grayish-brown bark, w/ longitudinal fissures & long, flat ridges. Young stems yellowish-brown to reddish-brown & glabrous, w/ multiple buds at tip. Even young trunks, just 3-5" diameter, already show the flaky, scaly bark, unlike White Oak.

Culture and Care

Native habitat is low lying swampy soil and along stream beds. Tolerates clay, heat, drought, salt, compaction, flooding & poorly-drained areas. Needs acid soil to prevent iron chlorosis (interveinal yellowing of leaves). Zone 4-8. Sun/part shade. Susceptible to galls, anthracnose, leaf scorch, cankers, leaf spots, powdery mildew, rust, wilt, decay, shoe-string root rot, scales, saddleback caterpillar, oak skeletonizer, borers, miners, & mites.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts

Good wildlife value. 3-season interest: Spring, summer & fall. New leaves of spring may emerge purplish-green. Young trees often hold their leaves into winter due to a juvenility response.

Suggested Uses

Makes a good shade tree. A good choice for wet or dry sites in the landscape.

Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA