Swamp White Oak, Quercus bicolor Willd., Minnesota Native trees, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

Swamp White Oak is a native deciduous tree growing to almost 100 feet tall, with scaly dark gray bark. This ragged peeling bark is distinctive for the species. Twigs are light brown in color. Flowers occur in spring on the current years branch growth. The male flowers are yellow-green catkins and the female flowers are green to red and very small in the leaf axils which develope into long stalked acorns. The long stalk is a distinguishing characteristic of this species. The cup-like covering of the acorn covers 1/3 to 1/2" or more of the bottom of the acorn, which turns light brown in autumn. Pairs of acorns are not uncommon. Leaves are ovate with a triangular or narrow wedge shape base and with a pointed end. The edges are not deeply cut like some other oaks but with broad large teeth, either the entire leaf or just the top half. The upper leaf is a dark shiny green and the underside much lighter which is why the species name is bicolor. Fall color is yellow to rusty brown - not considered striking. The species grows best in full sun in moist acidic soils. The MN Landscape Arboretum reports that it will grow better if the site is well drained. The tree does not develope a deep taproot like other oaks and thus is somewhat easier to transplant. The wood is similar to white oak (Q. alba) but there is much less of it grown and it is often very knotty as the species does not self prune its lower branches as Q. alba does. Swamp White Oak lumber therefore is commonly used as a secondary wood in furniture and for more mundane things like crates, posts, general construction material.

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	Swamp White Oak	Quercus bicolor Willd.	Beech (Fagaceae)	Woodland	Late Spring Flowering
Other names and notes	Swamp White Oak is a native deciduous tree growing to almost 100 feet tall, with scaly dark gray bark. This ragged peeling bark is distinctive for the species. Twigs are light brown in color. Flowers occur in spring on the current years branch growth. The male flowers are yellow-green catkins and the female flowers are green to red and very small in the leaf axils which develope into long stalked acorns. The long stalk is a distinguishing characteristic of this species. The cup-like covering of the acorn covers 1/3 to 1/2" or more of the bottom of the acorn, which turns light brown in autumn. Pairs of acorns are not uncommon. Leaves are ovate with a triangular or narrow wedge shape base and with a pointed end. The edges are not deeply cut like some other oaks but with broad large teeth, either the entire leaf or just the top half. The upper leaf is a dark shiny green and the underside much lighter which is why the species name is bicolor. Fall color is yellow to rusty brown - not considered striking. The species grows best in full sun in moist acidic soils. The MN Landscape Arboretum reports that it will grow better if the site is well drained. The tree does not develope a deep taproot like other oaks and thus is somewhat easier to transplant. The wood is similar to white oak (Q. alba) but there is much less of it grown and it is often very knotty as the species does not self prune its lower branches as Q. alba does. Swamp White Oak lumber therefore is commonly used as a secondary wood in furniture and for more mundane things like crates, posts, general construction material.