Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Fagaceae

Genus:

Quercus

Species:

Quercus michauxii

USDA Symbol:

QUMI

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Tree

Height:

3000 cm

Light Requirements:

Part Shade

Drought Tolerance:

Low

Bloom Months:

apr,may

Wildlife Benefits

Caterpillars:

★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

★★★★★ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, squirrels, deer, wild turkey, wood ducks

Fall Color:

yellow, brown

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Mature trees can survive low-intensity fires due to thick bark; resprouts vigorously from root crown after top-kill.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

rich, well-drained loamy soil

pH:

4.5 - 6.5 (acidic to slightly acidic)

Drainage:

tolerates poor drainage

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

prefers floodplain and bottomland areas

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days

Germination Time:

14–28 days

Notes:

Acorns have no dormancy and germinate in fall if conditions allow; cold stratification improves spring germination rates.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI