# Swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor)

> A medium-large oak with a broad, rounded crown and bark that peels on young branches to show orange underneath. Leaves are dark green above and silvery-white below, turning gold to orange-brown in fall, and stalked acorns come in pairs. It transplants easily, handles both flooding and drought once established and tolerates road salt, which is why it has become a favorite street and rain-garden tree (it was chosen for the 9/11 Memorial plaza).

Source: https://treerm.org/trees/quercus-bicolor · Updated 2026-11-08 · License CC BY 4.0

## Facts

- Also called: Bicolor oak
- Family: Fagaceae
- Type: Broadleaf, drops leaves
- Mature height: 17 m; spread 17 m
- Growth: Medium growth; lives about 300 years
- USDA hardiness zones: 4 to 8
- Light: Full sun
- Water: Moderate water
- Soil: Prefers moist to wet acidic soil but tolerates clay, poor drainage and dry spells; may yellow on high-pH soil
- Native range: Eastern and central United States and adjacent Ontario and Quebec, from Maine to South Carolina and west to Minnesota and Tennessee.

**Benefits:** Shade, Wildlife, Pollinators, Birds, Edible, Flood tolerant, Drought tolerant, Salt tolerant, Fall color, Long lived

**Good for:** Street tree, Yard shade, parks, Streambanks

**Watch out for:** Messy fruit, Toxic parts, Pest prone

## Care

Plant in full sun in acidic to neutral soil and avoid strongly alkaline sites. Water through the first two summers; it then tolerates wet feet and drought. Prune in winter to avoid attracting oak-wilt beetles; anthracnose, powdery mildew and galls are cosmetic.

## Where it stands

- **Native:** Canada (Native to southern Ontario and Quebec.); United States (Native from Maine to South Carolina and west to Minnesota and Tennessee (more than 15 states).)
- **Recommended:** Toronto, ON, Canada (On Toronto's list of species planted on streets (native to Ontario).); Denver, CO, United States (On the Denver Office of the City Forester Approved Street Tree List); Washington, DC, United States (On the Casey Trees Tree Rebate eligible species list); Boston, MA, United States (On the City of Boston Urban Forestry Division recommended public street trees list); New York, NY, United States (On the NYC Parks Street Tree Planting Approved Species List); Portland, OR, United States (On Portland's approved street tree list for planting strips 8.5 ft and wider.)

## Sources

- https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/quercus-bicolor/
- https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/swamp-white-oak/
- https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/QUBI
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_bicolor