Northern Red Oak Acorns (Quercus rubra)

Northern red oak, also known as common red oak, eastern red oak, mountain red oak, and gray oak.

Oak acorns top the food preference list for birds such as wood ducks, wild turkeys, quail and jays, and mammals such as squirrels, raccoons and whitetail deer. Oak trees begin to produce acorns at about 20 years of age, but 50 years is not an unusual period for the first crop. Oak trees produce acorns once per year during the Fall. An individual tree’s acorn production varies year to year, with the strongest production normally alternating every other year. Late Spring frost can blight the flowers and stunt or prevent acorn development, and of course drought and insects can decimate crops. Acorn production typically increases over the long run, in proportion to the size of an individual tree’s canopy. An average 100-year old Oak will produce around 2,200 acorns per year.

Oh yes, almost forgot the one acorn question you really wanted to know the answer to: Only 1 acorn in 10,000 will grow up to be an Oak tree.

Oak is one of the most impressive trees in North America, and more than just a beautiful source of shade. The tree is also known for its particularly strong and dense wood, so much so that the United States Navy once maintained its own Oak forests. In fact, the first national land preserve was a Oak forest purchased in 1789 by the United States Navy. The Oak earned its place in Naval history as the lumber used to construct the USS Constitution, which became affectionately known as “Old Ironsides” after British cannonballs repeatedly bounced off the American frigate’s hull during the War of 1812.
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