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Basket Oak

Quercus michauxii (KWER-kus miss-SHOW-ee-eye)

Family: Fagaceae Native Canopy (>40 ft)

Swamp Chestnut Oak is a native deciduous tree that may grow 60 to 80 feet tall. The dense crown is rounded with an irregular spread. It is native to swampy areas and low woodlands of the southeastern coastal plain and the Mississippi river valley. Its preference is for moist, well-drained, acidic sandy to silty clay loams in full sun to part sun. It tolerates wet soils and occasional flooding. Chestnut Oak is adaptable to urban conditions and makes a great shade tree for a larger yard or park. As with most native oaks, it is a high-value wildlife plant. It is a host plant for the larvae of the Imperial moth ( Eacles imperialis ) , as well as numerous butterflies, including Banded hairstreak ( Satyrium calanus ) , Edward's hairstreak ( Satyrium edwardsii ) , Gray hairstreak ( Strymon melinus ) , White-m hairstreak ( Parrhasius malbum ) , Horace's duskywing ( Erynnis horatius ) , and Juvenalis duskywing ( Erynnis juvenalis ) . Fire Risk: This plant has a low flammability rating. Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: Oaks, in general, are susceptible to a large number of diseases, including chestnut blight, shoestring root rot, anthracnose, oak leaf blister, cankers, leaf spots, and powdery mildew. This tree is resistant to oak wilt. Potential insect pests include scale, oak skeletonizer, leaf miner, galls, oak lace bugs, borers, caterpillars and nut weevils.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 77 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 1 - Canopy (>40 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Often confused with Quercus bicolor Quercus muehlenbergii
Fills a similar niche Quercus montana Quercus nigra Quercus pagoda

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Edible; Native Plant; Poisonous; Tree
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Wet
Available space
24-60 feet; more than 60 feet
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 60 ft. 0 in. - 80 ft. 0 in. | Width: 30 ft. 0 in. - 70 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low; Medium
Canopy layer
1 - Canopy (>40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Open; Oval; Pyramidal; Rounded
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Obovate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Crenate; Lobed; Sinuate
Leaf feel
Smooth; Velvety
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 3-6 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Up to 9 inch long oval simple leaves which are shiny green above and grey-green pubescent on the undersides. Margins are wavy with rounded teeth that are also sometimes described as small lobes. Orange-yellow to yellow-brown to dark red fall color.
Fall color
Brown/Copper; Gold/Yellow; Orange; Red/Burgundy
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Red/Burgundy
Flower form
Catkin; Insignificant
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Male pollen flowers in slender yellow catkins to 2-4" long and female flowers in very short few-flowered reddish spikes. Both grow on the same tree (monoecious). In North Carolina, flowers are available in April.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver
Fruit type
Nut
Fruit value
Edible
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Acorns are 1 to 1.5 inches long, sessile, and are usually produced singly or in clusters of 2 or 3. 1/3 to 1/2 is covered by a hairy, grey to brown scaly cup. These acorns are sweet-tasting and can be eaten from the tree unlike other acorns. Acorns are typically not produced until the tree reaches 20-25 years old. In North Carolina, the acorns are available from September to October.
Bark color
Light Gray; Red/Burgundy
Bark detail
The bark is light gray with deep v-shaped furrows producing broad, flaky ridges.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver; Green; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
New growth is green, progressing to brown during the first winter and turning gray during the second year.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Eastern United States
Distribution
Found along the eastern United States, far north as Maine, south into northern Florida and west into Texas.
Wildlife value
Oak trees support a wide variety of Lepidopteran. You may see Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed. Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus), which have one flight from June-August everywhere but Florida where they emerge April-May. Edward's Hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii), has one flight from May-July in the south and June-July in the north. Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), has three to four flights in the south from February-November and two flights in the north from May-September. White-M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album) has three broods in the north from February-October. Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) has three broods in Texas and the deep south from January-November, and two broods in the north from April-September. Juvenal’s Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis) has one brood from April-June, appearing as early as January in Florida. Acorns are eaten by woodpeckers, blue jays, rough grouse, ducks, small mammals, wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, and black bears.
Attracts
Butterflies; Moths; Pollinators; Small Mammals; Songbirds
Play value
Shade; Wildlife Cover/Habitat; Wildlife Food Source; Wildlife Larval Host; Wildlife Nesting
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Nut

Edibility

Acorns are edible.

Uses (ethnobotany)

The wood is used in many kinds of construction; for agricultural implements, wheels, veneer, boards, fence posts, tight cooperage, baskets and fuel. It has commercial uses as fencepost and furniture, as well.

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Meadow; Naturalized Area; Pond; Woodland
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Edible Garden; Native Garden; Nighttime Garden; Pollinator Garden; Rain Garden; Shade Garden
Design feature
Shade Tree; Specimen
Garden tags
#low lying area #deciduous #deer resistant #woodpeckers #blue jays #acorns #poisonous #ducks #Braham Arboretum #NC native #native tree #food source fall #mountains #shade tree #stream banks #rocky soils tolerant #bird friendly #butterfly friendly #flowering tree #fruits early fall #food source herbage #food source hard mast fruit #mammals #Coastal FACW #Piedmont Mountains FACW #larval host plant #spring interest #well-drained soil #full sun tolerant #moist soil #spring flowers #showy flowers #problem for horses #Audubon #banded hairstreak butterfly #imperial moth #juvenal’s duskywing butterfly #edward’s hairstreak butterfly #nighttime garden #horace’s duskywing butterfly #white-m hairstreak butterfly #gray hairstreak butterfly #moth caterpillar host #partial shade tolerant #fall interest #pollinator plant #showy fruits #pond margins #bear friendly #wildlife friendly #butterfly caterpillar host #oak #rain garden
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Common Insect Pests of Oak in North Carolina; Oak Pest Management Calendar
Disease problems
Common Disease Pests of Oak in North Carolina
Problems
Poisonous to Humans; Problem for Horses
Resistant to
Deer; Erosion; Fire; Wet Soil
Propagation
Seed
Fire risk
low flammability
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Leaves; Seeds
Poison symptoms
Abdominal pain, constipation then diarrhea (occasionally bloody), depression, frequent urination, discolored urine, jaundice; acorns can obstruct the digestive tract
Toxic principle
Gallotannins, quercitrin, and quercitin.
Contact dermatitis
No
Toxicity summary
Low severity poison; parts: Leaves; Seeds

Planted at Hunnicutt

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