A
customer once asked us… “If you had to choose one and only one species
of oak to plant at your deer camp or property, which one would it be?”
Wow, a question like that is very important. Let’s see… well…it must
provide high quality timber and plenty of mast. It also must be a red
oak because biologists recommend at least 60% of oaks on a property be
from the red oak section. Most importantly it must provide a wide
window of acorn drop time like no other oak can provide. That leaves
us no choice but to say Shumard oaks from Mossy Oak’s Nativ Nursery!
Why our Shumards? Because we collect seed from different parent trees
that provide a mast source encompassing almost half of the calendar
year (mid Oct- Feb) from one species of oak! Shumards vary in their
expressed traits (especially with timing of acorn drop) more so than
any red oaks we have encountered, and also can be successfully
established in a wide range of zones and sites. Tree Size - Rapid Mast Seedling 10"+
| Zone: |
5 - 9 |
| Soil pH: |
5.0 - 7.0 |
| Mature Height: |
110' |
| Site Preference: |
Tolerates
a variety of sites and pH ranges, but does best on well-drained soils
along streams and rivers; on deep upland soils, especially
loess. |
| Nut Maturity Date: |
October to January (varies) |
| Alias: |
Spotted Oak, Swamp Oak |