Swamp Chestnut Oak

Quercus michauxii

The bark and branches of this oak closely resemble the White Oak, but the leaf and acorn are quite different. The Swamp Chestnut Oak or Basket Oak attains a height of 100 feet or more with a trunk diameter of about four feet. It grows in river bottoms with short inundation periods and mixed hardwood forests and flatwoods in the northern and north-central parts of the state.

Alternate leaves are broadest toward the apex, with large, rounded evenly-spaced teeth along the margin. The leaves vary from four to eight inches in length, are downy beneath and turn a rich crimson in the fall. The bark is very pale gray, often tinged with red.

The acorn attains a diameter of more than an inch and a length of one and one-half inches. The bright shiny brown nuts are considerably broader than those of the White Oak. They are frequently eaten by cattle and deer.

The wood is heavy, hard, strong and takes an excellent polish. It has been used for manufacturing lumber, veneer, fuel, fence posts and for making baskets.

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Tree information provided with permission of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for more information visit https://www.fdacs.gov/.