Scientific name: Quercus bicolor
Common name: Swamp White Oak
Native: Yes
Native range: Native to the Midwest and parts of the northeastern United States [1,2,3,4].
Distribution in North America: Click to view the USDA Plants Database page for Q. bicolor.
USDA Zones: 4-8 [3]
Maximum age: May live up to 300-350 years [4].
Ecology: The leaves are often littered with the galls of various insects, and the branches are home to birds and squirrels [1,2]. The acorns are an important food source for many wildlife species, including ducks, turkey, deer, bears, beavers, and small mammals [1,2,4]. It also hosts several native moth species, including the Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus) [6].
Ethnobotany: Indigenous American groups, including the Haudenosaunee, use the acorns to create flour and as a thickener in soups and stews, as well as an ingredient in serveral medicines [1,2,4,5]. The tree is valued as an ornamental for its attractive foliage, and the wood is used in woodworking and construction [1,2].
Eat the Planet: Oak Tree Acorns, A High Calorie Wild Edible
Eat the Weeds: Acorns - The Inside Story
In Defense of Plants: Red or White?
In Defense of Plants: Oaks - Insights into Evolution & Ecology
Native American Ethnobotany Database: Quercus bicolor Willd.
USDA: Swamp White Oak Plant Guide