FNPS Plant Database

Quercus michauxii

basket oak, swamp chestnut oak, cow oak

PHOTOS COMING SOON!

Nomenclature

Common Name:

basket oak, swamp chestnut oak, cow oak

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Quercus michauxii

Family:

Fagaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

tree

Size:

to 120 ft

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

NA

Fruit Color:

brown

Phenology:

Deciduous. Blooms in spring (inconspicuous). Acorns mature in the fall.

Noted For:

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Shade tree. While native to moist sites, this oak does well in moderately dry areas as well. Makes a good street tree and can be used in parking lot islands. Bronzy fall color.

Considerations:

Fallen/falling acorns can be a maintenance issue.

Availability:

Native Nurseries, Seed

Propagation:

Seed.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

Coming Soon!

Usually moist, occasional inundation ---to--- Short very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Loam

Soil pH:

Acidic

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.



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Ecology

Wildlife:

Caterpillars, Birds, Mammals

Larval food for brown duskywing butterfly ( Erynnis horatius ), gray hairstreak ( Strymon melinus ), and white-M hairstreak (P arrhasius m-albu m).

Acorns prized by squirrels, deer, turkey and other wildlife.

Native Habitats:

Mesic sites near swamp edges and second bottoms of floodplains. May occur in uplands on shallow soils over limestone.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

Citations:

https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/quercus/michauxii.htm



https://secure.caes.uga.edu/extension/publications/files/pdf/B 1477_1.PDF



Burns, Russell M.; Honkala, Barbara H.; [Technical coordinators] 1990. Silvics of North America: Volume 2. Hardwoods. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook 654 ( https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/1548 ). 



Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell.  1999.  Native Florida Plants.  Gulf Publishing Company.  Houston, TX.



Huegel, Craig, N.  2010.  Native plant landscaping for Florida wildlife.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL. (wildlife uses)



Minno, Marc and Maria Minno.  1999.  Florida butterfly gardening.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville.



Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ).  Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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