Virginia Tech Dendrology

swamp white oak Fagaceae Quercus bicolor Willd. symbol: QUBI
Leaf: Alternate, simple, obovate, 3 to 7 inches long, margin with large irregular blunt teeth, 2 to 4 1/2 inches wide, dark green and shiny above, very pale below.
Flower: Species is monoecious; male flowers are yellow-green long catkins (2 to 4 inches long); females are green to red, very small in leaf axils; appearing in mid-spring with the leaves.
Fruit: Acorn, 1 inch long, tan, borne singly or double on a long stalk (2 inches), bowl-shaped cap covers about 1/3 of nut.
Twig: Moderately stout, light brown, terminal buds short, blunt and light brown, thread-like stipules often present around terminal bud.
Bark: Gray and scaly, later developing irregular fissures and ridges.
Form: Medium size tree reaching heights of 80 feet, irregular crown, often with lower limbs remaining.
Looks like: swamp chestnut oak - chestnut oak - chinkapin oak - bur oak

Additional Range Information: Quercus bicolor is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
More Information: Fall Color
External Links: USDAFS Silvics of North America - USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database - Horticulture Information - USDAFS Forest Products Lab
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information