Mystery oak

[j-bird]

I found this in a local strip mall and I was able to reach some acorns but I am not sure exactly what it is. At first I thought it was a bur oak, but the lobes are not deep enough even though the bark looks very similar. The acorns are about the size of the end of your thumb from about the first knuckle forward, so I would not consider them "big". Tree was roughly 30 feet tall or so. Seemed to be doing just fine in the strip mall setting and I figured it might be some sort of of specialty oak as I am sure it was planted and NOT there by mother natures hands. I'm pretty sure it's a white oak of some sort, but other than that it doesn't fit the other oaks I am familiar with that are native to my area.

 

[jteeen]

I found this in a local strip mall and I was able to reach some acorns but I am not sure exactly what it is. At first I thought it was a bur oak, but the lobes are not deep enough even though the bark looks very similar. The acorns are about the size of the end of your thumb from about the first knuckle forward, so I would not consider them "big". Tree was roughly 30 feet tall or so. Seemed to be doing just fine in the strip mall setting and I figured it might be some sort of of specialty oak as I am sure it was planted and NOT there by mother natures hands. I'm pretty sure it's a white oak of some sort, but other than that it doesn't fit the other oaks I am familiar with that are native to my area.
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Looks like a Bur to me but could be wrong.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

[Nebraskaz71]

schuettes imo. Has swamp white and bur characteristics

 

[Gregoire1960]

Looks like the Bur oaks on my property. They can get huge given enough time. I have an old dinosaur that's 4 ft in diameter. Probably was around when we were still a British colony.....

 

[j-bird]

The bark and branches look like bur, but the acorns have long stems (where a bur oak acorn is right on the branch) - it's not a pure bur. I have bur oak on my place so I know what those are. It's possibly a hybrid of some sort.

I did find another one of these and it was loaded with acorns ready to be picked - so I stopped and picked all those that where ready that I could reach.....filled up a large McDonald's cup! There are more that where still green - I'll be back!

 

[Nebraskaz71]

its a schuettes oak like i said, the stems come from swamp white oak heritage

 

[j-bird]

its a schuettes oak like i said, the stems come from swamp white oak heritage

You have any history with them?
The trees I have found seem to be producing acorns at what I would consider a younger age than I would expect. The trees aren't 30 feet tall. The one I found appears to be pretty prolific as well. I know some folks are pretty keen on some of the hybrids, while I myself have very little exposure to them. I plan on planting everyone I have and can get my hands on at the moment as they look like they will be a great addition to my place.

 

[Nebraskaz71]

I have a small amount of experience with them, natural hybrid, fast growing, early production and a lot of it. The leaves dont look quite like the ones i've seen but the acorn and stem on acorn definitely look correct.

 

[j-bird]

Cool - Like I said I found a few here and there, but I found one that is LOADED - I will make several visits this fall. The 4 I know of are in parking lots so I just help myself. People give me funny looks.....but I'm used to that!

 

[Nebraskaz71]

lol every morning im out picking acorns up from one of my trees, every car that goes by must think ive lost it

 

[letemgrow]

Most everything looks swamp white to me, the bark, twigs and acorns. Swamp whites have that peeling like paper bark on the smaller twigs. Here is a swamp white off my place.

 

[j-bird]

Either way (swamp or Schuettes) I don't currently have either and either will make a great addition to my place. Looks like the one tree I have found will produce a lot of acorns at a fairly young age and they are a white oak of some sort so I am thrilled. I'm going to collect as many as I can and start direct seeding soon.

 

[letemgrow]

Either way (swamp or Schuettes) I don't currently have either and either will make a great addition to my place. Looks like the one tree I have found will produce a lot of acorns at a fairly young age and they are a white oak of some sort so I am thrilled. I'm going to collect as many as I can and start direct seeding soon.

Swamp white oak is overall the best white oak for most of us northern growers IMO. Fast growing, early producing and tolerant of a lot of sites.