Plant Type

Tree

 

Height Range

40-60'

 

Flower Color

Yellow

 

Flower Season

Spring

 

Leaf Color

Dark Green

 

Bark Color

Brown

 

Fruit Color

Brown

 

Fruit Season

Summer, Fall, Persistent

Sun

Full

 

Water

Medium, Extra in Summer

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Clay, Loam, Rocky

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Moist, Dry

 

Soil pH

Acid, Neutral

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

Formal, Mediterranean, Ranch, Spanish, Woodland

 

Accenting Features

Fall Color, Silhouette, Specimen

 

Seasonal Interest

Winter, Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Background, Lawn, Park

 

Special Uses

Screen, Shade Tree

 

Attracts Wildlife

Butterflies, Wildlife

Swamp white oak is a medium sized, deciduous tree with a broad, rounded crown and low branching habit, typically growing at a moderate rate to a height of 50 to 60 feet tall and wide. Leaves are dark, shiny green above and silvery white beneath, with rounded lobes or blunt teeth along the margins. Fall color is yellow, but sometimes reddish purple. Insignificant flowers in separate male and female catkins in spring. Fruits are acorns which mature in early fall. Native to the Missouri River Valley and Midwest, it is found in moist to swampy locations in bottomlands and lowlands, such as along streams and lakes, valleys, floodplains, and at the edge of swamps, though it has surprisingly good drought resistance, especially when planted in clay soils.

Grow in loamy to clay-loam to clay soils in full sun. Useful as a shade tree, for lawn areas, as a specimen, and for large areas. Oaks are best planted in the spring and through the summer, but generally not later than the end of September as they are slow to establish. Plant the smallest tree you can endure, as it will establish more quickly.