A medium oak with extraordinarily long acorns.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
Quercus shumardii, the Shumard oak, spotted oak, Schneck oak, Shumard red oak, or swamp red oak, is one of the largest of the oak species in the red oak group. It is closely related to Quercus buckleyi, Quercus texana, and Quercus gravesii.
Source: Wikipedia — Quercus shumardii Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Tall oak; large lobed leaves; reddish-brown bark; large pointed-cup acorns.
Similar species. Other red oaks. Northern Red Oak (smaller acorns).
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. N/A — photosynthesis
Behavior. Large valuable oak of southern US bottomlands. Produces extra-large acorns (among the largest of any oak).
§ Range
Southern US
§ Habitat
Forests
§ Threats
Forest loss.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the shumard oak is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support southern hardwood forest conservation.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Quercus shumardii
- www.nwf.org — authoritative profile of Quercus shumardii
- iNaturalist · taxon 49157
- IUCN Red List — search for Quercus shumardii
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Quercus shumardii
§ Sources cited
- USDA Forest Service Silvics Manual
