Quercus bicolor – Swamp White Oak Tree

Botanical Name: Quercus bicolor

The Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor) is a medium sized deciduous tree with a relatively short trunk. The growth habit is rounded with an open, spreading crown. It grows to a height of 50-60 feet tall with a spread of 50-60 feet.

The Swamp White Oak tree is native to eastern Iowa, where it is found growing in fairly wet environments and therefore tolerates wet soil well. This oak tree can be found growing on the edge of lakes or rivers or close to wetlands and swamps that can be subject to seasonal flooding.

The bark on the tree’s smaller branches is smooth brown-purple and divides into papery scales. On the trunk and larger branches, the bark is reddish-brown and has big ridges with deep fissures.

The flowers of the Swamp White Oak are catkins. They emerge in the spring as separate male and female flowers and are greenish-yellow in color. The fruits are acorns that grow up to ¾ to 1 1/4  inches in size and develop in early fall.

The leaves have 5 to 10 lobes and are dark green and shiny with bright silver undersides. The two different colors of the leaf give this oak its Latin name, Quercus bicolor. In the fall, the leaves turn yellow or occasionally purple and red.