The Dawes Arboretum

Common name: Heartland® swamp white oak

Family: Fagaceae (beech family)

Distribution: Species native to e. North America

Hardiness: USDA Zone 4

Life form: Deciduous tree

Comments: This is a cultivar of swamp white oak. The species is a medium sized, deciduous tree with a broad, rounded crown and a short trunk which typically grows at a moderate rate to a height of 50-60' tall (sometimes larger). Leaves are dark, shiny green above and silvery white beneath, with 5-10 rounded lobes or blunt teeth along the margins. Fall color is yellow, but sometimes reddish purple. Insignificant flowers in separate male and female catkins in spring. Fruits are acorns which mature in early fall. Indigenous to the e. US in moist to swampy locations in bottomlands and lowlands, such as along streams and lakes, valleys, floodplains and at the edge of swamps. Also has surprisingly good drought resistance.