All about Masting Boom or Bust: Did you know? The fruit of an Oak tree is an acorn and in some years a single Oak tree can produce 10 thousand acorns in a single season. Other trees with hard nuts like Beech, Hickory, Pecan, or Walnut (acorns, nuts, buds, and twigs.) experience high-yield years , a bumper crop botanically referred to as a “Mast” year. The masting occurs about every 2-5 years.

There are two types: soft, which includes foods like berries and fruit; and hard, which includes acorns, nuts, buds, and twigs. Oak, hickory, and walnut are also types of mast trees, and more specifically, they are hard mast trees.


Why these trees vary how many acorns they produce has been somewhat of a mystery, but scientists are continuing to study causes one evolutionary benefit of masting is to ensure future offspring. Masting typically occurs in conjunction with plants of the same species so they mast in the same year within a region. Oaks like the Swamp Oak ,Quercus bicolor is popular for lumber production. The fruit is an acorn, maturing in the fall with the beautiful fall colors in yellow-brown or reddish. Learn More: https://sheffields.com/seeds-for-sale/Quercus/bicolor///////1201/Swamp-White-Oak/Swamp-White-Oak

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Help needed!! We live in southwestern KY USA zone 7b and our last estimated frost is April 19. Our trees usually come out of dormancy in march and they have already started the process because of an unseasonably warm january. I have some very young pear, cherry, and hazelnut trees that I'm not collecting harvest from for several years so fruit set isn't important, but will these trees be okay if and when a hard freeze returns to our area this winter? Is there anything I can do?

I love my fig tree. What fruit trees do you group?

Anyone here have success growing medicinal plants outside, in extreme Arizona heat? I want to start a medicinal garden. Trying to figure out what I can grow outside and what will need to be grown inside. Also wondering if there are any reputable places in Phoenix where I could buy plants like Mormon tea and butterfly weed. 😅

Anyone ever considered growing vines for their own wine? I took this photo at a local winery a while back. I hear growing grapes for wine is extremely difficult and time consuming.