there might be some tree peeps that can WAG .. in the tree forum.. whom i have never seen here but they will preface their guess by saying immature oaks.. do not have true leaves... and that is why they will guess ... if you want to ID the monster.. a pic of a leaf.. the bark.. and whole.. will probably get you an ID there... and that will put you in the ballpark with this one.. subject to who fertilized the nut ... and i think the pollen is wind borne.. so it could be any oak for miles around.. but will defer on that ... if you have any inclination to save it.. find the proper planting time wherever you are.. dig it out.. bare root.. and reduce to one leader ... in my z5 MI.. this would be april .. while fully dormant.. 6 to 8 weeks before it is supposed to leaf out.. what i call.. root growing time ... ken

I planted a swamp white oak 18 months ago. Was just under 5' tall container, mail order from Forest Farm. I had read that swamp whites are slow growers, but mine has been very vigorous. I think buying small is a good strategy because the 10' B&B's at the garden centers will stare at your for a couple years before taking off and require a lot more watering. This guy will catch up with the bigger ones. I just watered mine weekly during the first summer, but did not water at all the second year. Generously mulched w/ leaf compost. Grew like crazy. I had to re-establish the central leader due to heavy deer browsing. After protecting, it easily put on 2-3 feet in height and a ton of density in the second summer. The trunk really bulked up quickly too. Looks like a winner. Fall color is better than expected, kind of a pale orange. In an area like NE Ohio, which is often pretty wet but also goes through some dry spells, swamp whites seem to thrive. Unlike a lot of oaks, they can supposedly handle wet or dry. Northern reds seem to prefer somewhat drier sites. Of course, Northern Reds are still very good trees. If you are dealing with wetness and/or clay soils, an alternative is the Nuttalli. They have the best form of the reds from what I have seen around here and are starting to gain traction. Guy Sternberg developed a nice cultivar (New Madrid) that you can buy mail-order. Just got one of those too.

That's exactly the case here too, NH. So, the wooded part of my land apparently burned in the 1930s. These trees would date since then. While they are surrounded by thick forest now, at that time, the scene would have been much different, I surmise. Also of interest, to me at at least, is those same fires evidently got the ultra-thick stands of N. white cedar started. I never associated that tree with burns, but I get it now. The ashen, dark soil, relieved of its duff layer, was just right for the tiny seeds to land and make good contact with actual mineral soil, something that just can't happen otherwise. It all makes sense now! do you have groves of Thuja o. in your area? Kind of a denizen of the "near north" here in Wisconsin. It is present in the true north, with the sandier, acidic soils, but does better in more southerly areas of this state, and especially, the eastern strip, where dolomite is the bedrock, and where that rock is quite near the surface. +oM

What's interesting to me is, although "wild" oaks in natural conditions will throw out a second flush in moister years, first-year seedlings in the wild almost never do. I think it's a sunlight thing - as they're usually in fairly deep shade. The acorns I've grown (or had pop up) directly in the ground will flush multiple times if in full sun and decent soil with good moisture. Saplings and more mature oaks seem to not be as picky.