Swamp White Oak

Scientific name: Quercus bicolor

Excellent tree for planting in the yard or as a woodland tree. Native throughout most of the northeastern United States. It prefers rich deep wet to even poorly drained soils, it also does well on dryer, compacted sites. The leaves of swamp white oak are dark green above and silvery white underneath. When breezes blow in the summer the silvery underside contrasts with the dark green upper leaf surface, thus the term “bicolor”.

Bark tends to become flakey as the tree gets older. Swamp white oak starts out with a pyramidal shape but grows to become more rounded and spreading. The tree has very few pests, and a relatively easy tree to transplant. A fast growing tree once established, will grow one foot or more per year, attaining a height of 60 to 70 feet and a trunk diameter of 2 to 3 feet. Long lived, attaining ages of 300 years or more. The acorns (3/4 to 1-1/4 inches long) usually occur in pairs. Valuable as a source of food for ducks, deer, turkey, squirrels.