![]() Because they don't sprout till the following spring, red oak acorns are an important fall and winter food source that will carry deer, turkey, ducks, squirrels, and songbirds through the entire season on years with a good mast crop. Red oaks may start dropping acorns before white oaks, and may continue to drop after white oaks are gone (this depends on species and individual trees). White oaks either sprout or are eaten quickly by wildlife, so they are often a short-lived food source that should be capitalized on quickly during deer season. Some species of white oak produce acorns that are mild enough for humans to eat raw. Because of this, white oak acorns are less bitter, sometimes even sweet, and are usually the preferred acorn for deer and other wild game. Leaves are not present on many trees at least half of the year. Learn bark characteristics and tree shape as quickly as possible. Some trees may have more than one leaf shape growing on the same tree. White oak acorns sprout shortly after they fall, so they do not require the high tannin levels to resist rotting. Leaves growing in the shade are often much larger than leaves exposed to full sun. The tannin preserves the acorn over the winter so it can germinate and sprout in the spring. Red oaks produce acorns with higher tannin levels. However, preference may vary from one tree to the next, and often depends on what kind of acorns are available in your area. ![]() Deer generally prefer acorns with less tannin. Will be delivered in a 1-gallon pot at a height of 2'3'. ![]() Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions. Provides fall color that changes from yellow to orange to red. Works well as a street tree or shade tree. Most acorns contain tannic acid (tannin), a very bitter substance used in tanning leather. All of which make the nuttall oak a great choice for urban and suburban spaces. The number of lobes may be from 5 up to 20 in a leaf. You may find both mature and immature acorns on the same tree. The characteristic features in an oak leaf are its lobes and sinuses (space between the lobes). Red oak acorns take two, occasionally three years to reach maturity. White oaks produce acorns within one growing season - acorns ripen the same year they were pollinated. Oak trees bloom in the spring, pollinating by wind through male and female flowers (catkins). ![]()
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