Description
The genus Quercus is relied upon by nearly every animal in the Eastern Woodlands- 436 caterpillar species host on the trees (which in turn support nestlings of native songbirds) and birds and mammals (including us humans) gather the acorns to carry us through the winter. The trees in the white oak group (including the Chestnut Oak) produce acorns low in tannins, meaning there is little processing involved in eating them. This also means that they don’t store as long, so these are best eaten in fall. With the chestnut oak’s large acorns, you’ll be eating acorn cookies all through the season.
