Plant · P-569

Swamp Chestnut Oak

Quercus michauxii

Swamp Chestnut Oak, also called basket oak or cow oak, is a bottomland tree grown as much for cattle and deer forage as for people - the acorns are large, and while some are sweet enough to eat, others turn out bitter, so any batch is worth tasting before counting on it. Its wood splits so cleanly that it was traditionally worked into baskets, and it is also strong and durable enough for flooring, barrels and boat building. Unlike most oaks it wants wet feet, thriving on inundated bottoms and stream banks, and it tolerates soil compaction better than most of its relatives. The seedling drops a deep taproot right away, so it needs to go in its permanent spot early rather than being moved later.