Quercus michauxii
basket oak, swamp chestnut oak, cow oak
Fagaceae
Plant Specifics
Form:
tree
Size:
to 120 ft
Life Span:
long-lived perennial
Flower Color:
Fruit Color:
brown
Phenology:
Deciduous. Blooms in spring (inconspicuous). Acorns mature in the fall.
Noted For:
Landscaping
Recommended Uses:
Shade tree. While native to moist sites, this oak does well in moderately dry areas as well. Makes a good street tree and can be used in parking lot islands. Bronzy fall color.
Considerations:
Fallen/falling acorns can be a maintenance issue.
Light:
Full Sun, Part Sun
Moisture Tolerance:
Usually moist, occasional inundation ---- to ---- Short very dry periods
Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:
Unknown
Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:
Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
Soil or Other Substrate:
Sand, Loam
Suitable to Grow In:
8A,8B,9A,9B
Ecology
Wildlife:
Caterpillars, Birds, Mammals
Larval food for brown duskywing butterfly ( Erynnis horatius ), gray hairstreak ( Strymon melinus ), and white-M hairstreak (P arrhasius m-albu m).
Acorns prized by squirrels, deer, turkey and other wildlife.
Native Habitats:
Mesic sites near swamp edges and second bottoms of floodplains. May occur in uplands on shallow soils over limestone.
