Swamp White Oak

Light Needs

Full Sun

(At Least 6 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

60 - 70 Feet

Mature Spread

60 - 70 Feet

Growing Zones

3 to 8

Swamp White Oak, or Quercus Bicolor, can be found in swamps and in low-lying areas. Don’t let the name fool you because this impressive tree can live in many different settings outside the swamp. It is a long-living, tall, shade tree that can be enjoyed for generations after it’s planted. It can live up to three hundred years. It makes a great shade tree, and foraging animals love it for its acorns.

The Swamp White Oak has dark-green leaves 3 to 7 inches long that turn yellow-bronze and reddish purple in the fall. It yields 1 inch oblong acorns for the critters to eat. It matures at 50 to 60 feet tall and 50 to 60 feet wide with an oval shape. The Swamp White Oak prefers to be in full sunlight, but gives you plenty of shade. Despite having swamp in its name, it tolerates compacted soil, salt exposure, and drought.  

Swamp White Oak Care

When you plant a Swamp White Oak tree, plan on enjoying it for a long time. Since it will become a large tree, don’t plant it under power lines or next to buildings. It prefers soil that is naturally acidic and moist. For best growth, make sure to keep the soil moist to wet, and protected with 3 inches of mulch. A tree and shrub fertilizer can be applied along the tree’s drip line to access the roots.

Swamp White Oaks are low-maintenance trees. Pruning should be done when the trees are dormant in winter or early spring. When pruning you do not want to leave a stub, but be careful not to cut into the branch collar or branch ridge bark or damage to the tree may occur. Remove lower branches to your preferred height and any dead or diseased branches.

Swamp White Oak Spacing

When placing this tree in the landscape, measure 40 feet between other trees or structures. Many things can be planted under the Swamp White Oak, but remember, it will eventually shade the area underneath. Shade-friendly plants make the best companions for this towering giant.