{"id":9232,"date":"2021-07-28T17:02:14","date_gmt":"2021-07-28T17:02:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/?p=9232"},"modified":"2021-07-28T17:02:16","modified_gmt":"2021-07-28T17:02:16","slug":"when-do-oak-trees-produce-acorns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/when-do-oak-trees-produce-acorns\/","title":{"rendered":"When Do Oak Trees Produce Acorns?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you have oak trees<\/a> on your property, you know that their yearly acorn crops can be highly unpredictable. Some years you may have a bumper crop of acorns that you don\u2019t know what to do with, while other years there aren\u2019t even enough acorns to support a starving squirrel. So, exactly when do oak trees produce acorns, and why are their crops so variable? Keep reading to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Do Oak Trees Start Producing Acorns?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Like most trees, oaks don\u2019t begin fruiting right away. It takes years for a young oak tree to grow and mature to the point it can begin bearing acorns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s hard to say exactly when a tree will start producing acorns. According to the University of Missouri Extension<\/a>, oaks typically begin fruiting around 30 years of age<\/strong>, but this number can vary widely depending on several factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For one thing, oak trees cross pollinate and produce hybrids quite easily. A hybridized tree may begin fruiting later than one of its parents and earlier than the other. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some oak species may produce their first crop around 20 years<\/strong> into its lifespan, then go the next two or three seasons without producing any acorns at all. Young trees may be stunted by environmental factors, which could cause them to produce their first crop at an older age than expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of when a tree begins fruiting, most oak trees don\u2019t bear their best crops until after 50 years and before 80 years of age<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Often Do Oak Trees Produce Acorns?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are two main categories of oak trees: white oaks and red oaks<\/strong>. Both groups produce a crop of acorns annually, but the method of production varies slightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

White oaks will produce a crop of acorns in about 3 months<\/strong>, or a single growing season. Some white oak species include burr, post, and chinkapin oaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Red oaks need 15 months, or two growing seasons, to produce a crop of acorns<\/strong>. Red oak species such as the pin oak and willow oak typically have a mix of mature and immature acorns during any given autumn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Oak Trees Produce Acorns the Fastest?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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As noted above, trees in the white oak family produce mature acorns in just 3 months. That said, it may still take 20 or 30 years before most trees in this family begin producing acorns in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sawtooth oak<\/strong> begins producing acorns at a younger age than any other oak species. Sawtooths are known for fruiting as young as five years<\/strong> and producing consistently high yields. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Does it Mean When Oak Trees Don\u2019t Produce Acorns?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With most oak species, the amount of acorns produced varies greatly from year to year. It is nearly impossible to tell whether a certain tree will produce a good crop in any given year until the tree is actually fruiting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several factors may contribute to a poor yield of acorns, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n