Friday, July 14, 2017

Swamp White Oak



A controlled burn got away from the crew.

This Swamp White Oak must have been hollow.

The draft entered here and burned out the tree.  Later, a windstorm knocked over the shell.
The crown is still green in places
But most of it is gone.

I climbed atop the snapped of top and saw where a raccoon had been feasting.

I was not aware that raccoons caught and ate possum.  I learn something new every day.


This is a much younger Swamp White Oak.  It is about 1.3" in diameter at three feet of height.
What is notable is that it is setting acorns.  Oak trees do not need to be ancient to produce acorns.
There is literature that claims that some clones of Swamp White Oak produce seedlings capable of setting acorns at four years of age.

Random wildflower picture
I don't know the name of this wildflower.  It is about 9" tall and grows in partial shade.
Shawnee Blackberries.  The canes are not fully hardy here and I usually don't get a crop.  But the berries and huge and delicious when I do.  Shawnee was bred in Arkansas and is a thorny cultivar.

3 comments:

  1. That IS an odd burn pattern. I think you're right, and it was a matter of time until that tree came down, one way or the other.

    ReplyDelete

  2. About the Swamp White Oak: I’m including this Oak in my hybrid selection this year, even though it appears to be a pure species, because I have had seedlings develop acorns routinely within 5 years from this tree! The original tree is from the University of Cornell’s arboretum, known for its abundant crops of acorns and voted “Urban Tree of the Year”. Air root pruning the seedlings along with nitrogen deprivation during the seedling phase will help this Swamp White Oak come out of its juvenile stage early. Expect acorns within 5-9 years. You can plant this tree in wet or upland soils, making it one of our most versatile selections.

    ReplyDelete
  3. http://www.deerhunterforum.com/index.php?threads/the-brushpile.25/page-57#post-46555


    This Burr Oak was purchased as a bare root seedling from the MDC and was planted in 2008. It began producing acorns in 3-4 years and has reliably produced large acorns for the last 5 years or so.

    ReplyDelete

Readers who are willing to comment make this a better blog. Civil dialog is a valuable thing.