Quercus bicolor - the swamp white oak - is a North American white oak species. A key player in our overall reforestry plan we planted thousands of them decades ago. Its acorn development follows a fairly consistent cycle, typical of white oaks, but with a few species-specific traits.
The cap is distinctive - shallow and scaly - covering about one-third of the nut, often with loose, fringed edges. The acorns reach full size (about 1–1.5 inches long) in September–October and are light brown to chestnut brown when mature. They drop to the ground soon after ripening, and because they lack a dormancy requirement, they often germinate in the same autumn if soil conditions are optimal. They're dispersed mainly by gravity, squirrels, and jays.
This species of oak tends to have high acorn production in mast years, but irregular cycles with bumper crops every 4–7 years. As a wildlife food source they're relatively sweet (low tannin) compared to red oaks, making them highly favored by deer, turkeys, ducks and squirrels.
I have an aux naturele bait pile.....
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