Swamp Chestnut Oak
Quercus michauxii Nutt.
Also known as Basket Oak or Cow Oak.
Mature Size: 60 to 80 feet in height and 2 to 3 feet in diameter.
Form: Tall, clear trunk, with thick branches growing upward at sharp angles to form a round-topped crown.
Habitat: Moist, well-drained, loamy bottomlands and stream sides.
Leaves
Alternate, simple, roughly oval but slightly wider near the tip, 6 to 8 inches long, edges with large rounded teeth.
Flowers
Males yellow-green, in 2 to 4 inch hanging catkins; females green to reddish, very small in leaf axils; both appearing with the leaves.
Fruit
Egg-shaped acorn 1 to 1½ inches long, maturing in one season, one third covered by a thick bowl-like cap with rough, wedge-shaped scales.
Bark
Light, ashy gray; on upper trunk of old trees, broken into broad flakes or divided into strips.
Twigs
Moderately thick, smooth or quite fuzzy, orange-brown; buds reddish brown, clustered at twig ends.
Values and Uses
The wood is hard, tough, very strong and heavy. It is used for barrels, baskets, lumber, flooring, tools and fuel. The acorns provide an important food source for many species of birds and mammals.
Did You Know?
The name "cow oak" refers to cattle's fondness for the large, sweet acorns. Its other name, "basket oak," refers to the long, thin strips of wood that are split from this tree and used to make baskets.
