What Are Acorns and Where Do Acorns Come From?
Acorns are the nuts of oak trees.
Acorns usually contain one seed (some species contain two seeds) enclosed in a hard, rubbery shell. They are 1 to 6 centimeters long and 0.8 to 4 centimeters thick.
Acorns come from the oak tree (they are the fruit of the oak tree). They are an important part of the diets of several species of woodpeckers, wildlife such as jays and ducks, and mammals such as squirrels, mice, and deer.
What Tree Does an Acorn Come From?
As stated above, acorns come from the oak tree.1
There are about 500 oak tree species worldwide, 90 of which are native to the United States.
Acorn Production of Oak Trees: How Often Do Acorns Fall?
Acorn production varies depending on the type of tree species and the level of stress the acorn tree has undergone.
However, acorns generally fall every 1-3 years, with the production level being the highest in August through October.
Do Oak Trees Have Acorns Every Year?
Oak trees do not have acorns every year. Most oak tree species produce acorns after every 2 to 3 years, however, some specific trees may produce them every year.
However, white oak trees produce acorns once every 4 to 6 years, while red oak trees produce acorns every 3 to 5 years. (On average… some trees will produce every year, depending on age.)
When Do Acorns Fall in All U.S. States?
The table below shows when acorns fall in U.S. states:
When Do Acorns Fall?Time of YearAlabamaSeptember or OctoberArizonaMay or June4ArkansasOctober and NovemberCaliforniaMid-September to Early OctoberColoradoAugust or September through OctoberDelawareAugust through OctoberFloridaAugust through OctoberGeorgiaSeptember and OctoberIllinoisAugust through OctoberIdahoSeptember and OctoberIndianaAugust through OctoberIowaAugust or September through OctoberKansasAugust through OctoberKentuckyMid-September through Early NovemberLouisianaEnd of October through Mid NovemberMaineAugust to OctoberMichiganAround AugustMassachusettsAugust through NovemberMississippiOctober to DecemberMinnesotaLate September through Mid OctoberMontanaSeptember to NovemberMissouriAugust through OctoberNevadaAugust through SeptemberNebraskaSeptember to NovemberNew JerseyAugust or September through OctoberNew HampshireAugust or September through OctoberNew YorkAugust through OctoberNew MexicoAugust through OctoberNorth DakotaAugust through OctoberNorth CarolinaAugust through OctoberOklahomaAugust or September through OctoberOhioLate August to Early SeptemberOregonAugust to NovemberPennsylvaniaMid-SeptemberSouth CarolinaAugust or September through OctoberRhode IslandSeptember to NovemberTennesseeBetween October and NovemberSouth DakotaAugust through OctoberTexasSeptember through NovemberVirginiaAugust through OctoberWest VirginiaSeptember through OctoberVermontEarly September to Early OctoberWyomingMay through JuneWashingtonAugust through OctoberWisconsinOctober
How To Identify Acorn Trees: How Big Are White Oak Acorn Tree Leaves?
On average, white oak acorn tree leaves range from 4 to 8 inches in length; however, this is not a universal rule.
The largest acorn tree leaf on record was found in Livingston, Alabama, and measured 16.53 inches (42 centimeters) long and 15.63 inches (39.7 centimeters) wide.
How Much Carbon Does an Acorn Oak Tree Sequester (Acorn Tree)?
On average, an acorn oak tree sequesters 5,000 kilograms of CO2e, while a 50-year-old acorn oak forest sequesters 30,000 pounds of CO2 per acre. The live oak sequesters the highest amount of CO2e, i.e., 10,994 CO2e, over its lifetime.
Growing an Oak Tree From an Acorn: How To Grow an Oak Tree From an Acorn
You can plant acorns and grow oak trees by following these simple steps:
1. Select Viable Acorns
Place the acorns in a bucket of cold water and let them soak for 24 hours. Empty or damaged acorns will float, while viable acorns will sink.
Throw the floating acorns away and let the viable acorns sit in the water longer, as this helps rehydrate them.
2. Plant the Acorns (In Pots, Germinate Acorn in Fridge, In the Ground)
There are many ways to plant acorns, including in pots, in water by germinating the acorn in the fridge, and in the ground.
3. Keep the Soil Moist
Ensure that the soil is moist until winter comes around. During winter, you can leave acorns alone but when spring comes around, restart watering them to keep them moist.
4. Thin the Seedlings
When the acorns germinate, use scissors or a garden snip to thin out the weaker of the two seedlings. Thinning is important as it leaves the strongest acorn to thrive.
5. Transplant the Seedling Into Bigger Pots
When the seedlings are around 5 to 6 inches tall, transplant them into bigger pots. Fill the pots halfway with potting soil and garden soil, and add a handful of slow-release fertilizer to the potting and garden soil.
6. Move to a Permanent Location
When the root system starts growing out of the drain holes, it is time to relocate the saplings to a permanent location. Dig a hole three times bigger (in diameter and depth) and add organic matter to improve the drainage.
Spread a thick layer of mulch on the base, leaving two inches of space between the mulch and the acorn tree. Ensure that you protect the tree with hardware cloth fencing for at least three years.
Now that you know how to plant an acorn, go ahead and plant different acorn tree species, and with time, you will get to enjoy the timeless beauty the acorn tree provides. Remember the ‘no leaves on tree’ rule.
Therefore, always ensure that your seedlings have leaves for proper growth.
How To Plant an Acorn
Here are the different methods to use when planting acorns:
How To Plant Acorns in Pots
To plant acorns in pots, use pots that are deep enough to support root growth, ideally 2.5 x 2.5 x 3.5-inch pots. Fill the pots with potting soil and place two acorns sideways at a depth of about 1 inch.
Water the acorns well until water starts running out of the drainage holes.
How To Plant Acorns in Water
Soak the acorns in water for 24 hours. Remove the acorns and wrap them in a moist towel, then place the moist towel in a zip bag.
Keep the zip bag in the fridge until you see the first root (you can germinate acorns in fridge environments: this method is known as stratification). It can take between 1 and 2 months to see the first root.
Once you see the first root, set the acorns with the roots in glasses of water, and in less than a month, they will grow leaves. You can then transfer the acorns into pots or plant them in the ground.
How To Plant Acorns in the Ground: How Deep To Plant Acorns
Place the acorns one or 1½ inches deep. Ensure that you choose a planting site where the acorns can receive specialized care before you transplant them to a permanent location.
After planting the seed, cover the area with hardware cloth fencing. This prevents animals from digging up and eating oak seedlings.
You can remove the fencing materials once the acorns start to germinate.2
How Exactly Do You Eat Acorns? Is It Safe To Eat Them Raw?
Once you have leached the tannins from your acorns, you can eat them in various ways, including:
- Roasting: You can roast acorns and eat them out of hand.
- Acorn Brittle: You can use acorns instead of peanuts when making peanut brittle.
- Acorn Cookies: You can use acorn flour to make cookies. When making cookies, swap wheat flour for acorn flour and tickle your taste buds.
- Acorn Bread: You can use acorn flour to make bread. However, the bread will be crumbly due to the acorn’s natural crumbly texture.
Types of Oak Trees in the United States
The following table summarizes the types of oak trees in each U.S. state:
StateTypes of Oak TreesTypes of Oak Trees in AlabamaPost Oak Black Oak White Oak Water Oak Texas Oak Laurel Oak Willow Oak Turkey Oak Scarlet Oak Running Oak Bluejack Oak Shumard Oak Sand Live Oak Darlington Oak Delta Post Oak Swamp Post Oak Northern Red Oak Southern Live Oak Southern Red Oak Swamp Chestnut OakTypes of Oak Trees in ArizonaDunn Oak Emory Oak Gambel Oak Net-Leaf Oak Wavyleaf Oak Silver Leaf Oak Shrub Live Oak Canyon Live Oak Arizona White OakTypes of Oak Trees in AlaskaAlaska has no native oak because it is too coldTypes of Oak Trees in ArkansasPin Oak Post Oak Black Oak White Oak Water Oak Willow Oak Nuttall Oak Overcup Oak Chinkapin Oak Blackjack Oak Cherry Bark Oak Maple Leaf Oak Northern Red Oak Southern Red Oak Swamp Chestnut Oak
