BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Quercus michauxii | Swamp Chestnut Oak 



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Swamp chestnut oak is a native deciduous tree that reaches heights of 60
to 80 feet (20-25 m) and diameters of 2 to 3 feet (0.6-1 m) [30].
Maximum height is 130 feet (40 m), with a diameter of 7 feet (2.2 m).
The crown is round, compacted, and narrow.  It is distinguished from
other oaks by 9 to 14 parallel lateral veins on each side of its leaves.
The underside of its leaves are hairy and about 11 inches (28 cm) wide
and 6.3 inches (16 cm) long [5].  Its bark is scaly, furrowed, and grey.
The swamp chestnut oak fruit is a one-seeded acorn (rarely two seeds)
that occurs singly or in clusters [22].  Acorns are about 1 to 1.4
inches (2.5-3.5 cm) long; the top is enclosed by a scaly cap, which can
cover as much as one-third of the acorn [5].


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Phanerophyte: Mesophanerophyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Sexual:  Swamp chestnut oak reproduces by seed, which mature in 1 year
[30].  Good seed crops are produced about every 4 to 7 years, but many
acorns are infected by insects.  Seedlings grow slowly at less than 6
inches (15 cm) per year [32].  Acorns must be collected soon after
falling to avoid early germination [22].  Viability can be tested by
dumping acorns in water.  Those that float are not viable.  Storing
seeds for more than a few months is not recommended because seeds do not
keep well.  Cleaned seeds average 85 per pound (76.5/kg).  One hundred
pounds (90 kg) of fruit can yield 40 to 50 pounds (36-45 kg) of seed
[22].  Detailed techniques for planting swamp white oak acorns and
seedlings are available [1].

Vegetative:  Swamp chestnut oak sprouts from its base [32].


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Swamp chestnut oak grows along streamsides, swamp borders, river
bottomlands, and ravines up to 1,000 feet (300 m) in elevation [5].  It
grows best in moderately well-drained silty clays and loams; it can
tolerate saturated or flooded soils for a few days to a few weeks during
the growing season [1].  It grows in limestone and phosphatic soils in
the Southeastern Coastal Plain of Florida [19].  It is an occasional
species in hydric hammocks of central and coastal Florida, which are
characterized by somewhat poorly drained sandy and loamy marine soils
over limestone [28].

Some overstory associates of swamp chestnut oak include willow oak
(Quercus phellos), white oak (Q. alba), cherrybark oak (Q. falcat var.
pagodaefolia), yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), beech (Fagus
grandifolia), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), river birch (Betula
nigra), southern bayberry (Myrica cerifera), loblolly pine (Pinus
taeda), and longleaf pine (P. palustris).  Understory associates include
greenbriar (Smilax spp.), holly (Ilex spp.), wild grape (Vitis spp.),
and poison ivy (Toxicodendron spp.) [3,28].


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Swamp chestnut oak is shade tolerant [5].  It is a dominant overstory
species in frequently flooded, low-elevation flatlands of Big Thicket,
Texas [18].  It is an early hardwood invader of southern pine (Pinus
spp.) stands where fire has been excluded [13].


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
Swamp chestnut oak flowers from April through May [5].  Acorns ripen in
late summer through the fall; seed crops are produced at about 3- to
5-year intervals [22].  Acorns are disseminated in September and October
[1].

Related categories for Species: Quercus michauxii | Swamp Chestnut Oak