Georgia Wildlife Federation

Resources < Wildlife Habitats < Guide to Native Plants of Georgia for Wildlife < Quercus michauxii

Swamp Chestnut Oak is a wonderful forest tree to add as a specimen to the landscape or to naturalize in a wooded acreage. Perhaps its most stunning feature is the eye-catching silver-gray bark of mature trees, which shimmers as though somebody tacked a gigantic slice of plate armor around a tree trunk. It certainly stands out in wintertime because of it. The grain structure of this tree’s wood allows it to be easily split into thin strips, being used by southeastern Native Americans to construct baskets.

Swamp Chestnut Oak leaves have a wonderful gently lobed shape and provide a wide canopy of dense shade when mature. Like other oaks, it grows slowly but eventually towers over other vegetation and becomes a titanic keystone species of many swampy forests. Its fall nut crops are vital to the survival of many birds and mammals. Its dense shade is useful for providing the foundation for a shade or woodland garden, especially if multiple trees are grown.

Like other oaks, its acorns are edible when the bitter tannins have been leached out by cold water. Cherokee, Creek, and other Native American groups made flour, breads, and cakes from ground acorns. The fall nut crops of oaks were especially important during America’s prehistoric and early colonial history, where the easily stored and relatively nonperishable acorn flour helped societies to survive in wintertime.

Family: Fagaceae (Beech)

Description: Tall-growing deciduous tree with a tall, straight trunk and a globular crown. Silvery gray bark has thin, shaggy plates when mature and is easy to spot at a distance. Leaves are glossy, 6-9” long, yellow in spring but dark green in summer, with wavy, gently lobed margins. Rich, red fall color along with large, sweet acorns.

Size: 60 to 100 feet tall, occasionally 130 feet

Habit: Tall-growing oak with , straight trunk and globular crown beginning approximately 20 feet above ground

Growth Rate: Slow to moderate

Light: Full sun preferred and slower growing as shade increases

Planting and Care: Swamp Chestnut Oak adapts readily to drier soils but succeeds in wet areas and is a great choice for swampy areas where other trees may not be able to grow. For drier soils, particularly for young plants, a 2-4” covering of mulch helps to reduce stress. It does not transplant easily because of its taproot, so be cautious and do not let the trees sit too long in containers.

Ornamental Value: The assets of Swamp Chestnut Oak include the eye-catching silver-gray bark, the reddish fall color which is unusual for many oaks, and the delightful leaves. It is also pleasing to know that your trees are providing an important winter food source for many native animals.

Landscape Use: In an open space this tree can be huge and spreading. It prefers moist soil but can tolerate open fields with adequate mulch. It works well as a companion to other native plants like ferns, blackgum, beeches, red maple, buckeyes, white oak, willow oak, and Shumard oak.

Wildlife Benefits: Swamp Chestnut Oak’s leaves are an important food for the caterpillar of Juvenal’s Duskywing butterfly, which although small and well-camouflaged has a marvelous array of black-brown-white speckles.

The acorns are sweet compared to the tannic bitterness of most other oak acorns. They are relished by woodpeckers, the yellow-bellied sapsucker, the tufted titmouse, and the Carolina wren as well as deer and small mammals like squirrels.

Native Habitat: Native throughout the Atlantic Coastal Plain. It prefers floodplains, bottomlands, hammocks, and other wet sites.

Propagation: Fresh acorns sown in the fall. They require stratification to germinate. Cover them with soil and leaves to ensure hungry squirrels don’t find them before spring!