Native Plant Database

Header Photo: Mervin Wallace

Swamp Chestnut Oak

Quercus michauxii
Plant Type: Trees
Native Environment: Forest, Stream Edge
Season of Interest: Late (July - frost), Winter (Nov - Mar)
Main Color: Green
Fall Color: Red

USDA PLANTS Range Map

At the range map link above, zoom in for county-level data

Tree with green leaves and brown trunk.
Photo: David Stephens, Bugwood.org, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License
Sun Exposure 
Full Sun, Medium Sun/Average Shade
Soil
Moisture
Moderate, High
Nature Attracting
Pollinators/Beneficial Insects
Wildlife Benefit
Butterfly / Moth Host, Cover, Food/Birds, Food/Small Animals, Nesting
Animal
Resistance
Size

Height:

60 to
80
feet

Spread:

55 to
65
feet
Size
Height: 60 to
80
feet
Spread: 55 to
65
feet
Size
Height: 60 to
80
feet
Spread: 55 to
65
feet
Typical Landscape Use
Extremely tall shade tree with great fall color. Could also plant in groves in wet areas.
Establishment and Care Instructions
Prefers deep, rich soils. Can survive very wet conditions including long periods of flooding or standing water.
Special Features
Interesting Bark, Nuts
Special Usage
Salt Tolerant
Basic Description

This oak has leaves similar to a Chestnut tree. They are leathery with the underside covered in soft hairs. Lovely scarlet-red fall color. A large and fairly fast growing oak with scaly bark. Magnificent in old age! Large, sweet acorns loved by wildlife and livestock. Grows naturally in wet areas and can survive continuous flooding. New root pruning and fertilization techniques in nursery production have made oaks easier to transplant and have given them faster growth rates. Special usage: timber. Red-banded hairstreak butterfly caterpillars feed on decaying sumac leaves and oak litter.

Oak species, as a group, serve as host plants for caterpillars of more than 500 different kinds of butterflies and moths. This is more than any other genus of tree. The caterpillars (larvae) feed on foliage, but without harming the trees. Oaks are vitally important in supporting nature’s web of life.

Where Should I Start?

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Where Can I Find This Plant in Nature?

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