Swamp post oak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Swamp post oak |
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| Conservation status | |
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Quercus
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| Species: |
similis
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Quercus similis, often called the swamp post oak or bottomland post oak, is a special kind of oak tree. It grows naturally in the southeastern and south-central parts of the United States. This tree is known for living in wet, low-lying areas, like swamps or river bottoms.
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Where the Swamp Post Oak Lives
The swamp post oak is mostly found in Louisiana and Arkansas. You can also see many of these trees in Mississippi and eastern Texas. Sometimes, you might find smaller groups of them in Missouri, Alabama, and along the Coastal Plain in Georgia and South Carolina.
What the Swamp Post Oak Looks Like
The swamp post oak is a deciduous tree, which means its leaves fall off in the autumn. It can grow quite tall, up to about 25 meters (82 feet). It usually has a straight main trunk.
Bark and Branches
The bark of this tree is brown and tends to flake off. Its branches are gray and quite thick, usually between 2 and 3 millimeters (about 0.1 inches) across.
Leaves
The leaves of the swamp post oak are shaped a bit like an egg. They are usually between 8 to 12 centimeters (3 to 4.7 inches) long and 5 to 8 centimeters (2 to 3.1 inches) wide. The tip of the leaf can be pointed or rounded. The edges of the leaves are mostly flat, with two or three shallow bumps, called lobes, on the top half. The top side of the leaf is a shiny dark green, while the underside is gray. Each leaf has 3 to 5 pairs of veins. The small stem that connects the leaf to the branch, called the petiole, is usually 3 to 10 millimeters (0.1 to 0.4 inches) long.
Flowers and Acorns
The swamp post oak's flowers appear in the spring. After the flowers, the tree produces acorns. These acorns are about 1.2 to 1.6 centimeters (0.5 to 0.6 inches) long and are dark brown. They are shaped like an oblong, which means they are longer than they are wide. The tree can produce acorns one at a time or in small groups of up to three.
