Swamp chestnut oak, Quercus michauxii

Quercus michauxii, or swamp chestnut oak, is a species of oak in the white oak section. It is native to wetlands in the eastern and central United States, in the coastal states from New Jersey to Texas, inland mainly in Ohio, the Mississippi Valley, Oklahoma, Missouri , Illinois and Indiana. Quercus michauxii closely resembles the chestnut oak (Q. Prinus) and for this reason it is sometimes considered a variety of this species. The tree is suitable for Canadian hardiness zone 4b-5a. The leaves of Quercus michauxii are simple (not compound), 10-28 cm long and 5-18 cm wide, with 15-20 simple rounded-toothed lobes on each side, similar to those of the chestnut oak (Q. Prinus) and chinkapin oak (Q. muehlenbergii). The fruit is an acorn 2.5-3.5 cm long and 2-2.5 cm wide, carried by a 2-3 cm peduncle.

The acorns of the Swamp Oak are large and relatively soft. They are easily eaten by livestock and the species is sometimes called the "cattle oak" for this reason. However, the Quercus michauxii bear abundant crops of acorns only at the 5-7 years Quercus michauxii is sometimes grown as a large garden or street tree, and it is very easy to grow if not subject to extreme urban conditions.