When do acorns fall?

Acorns may also fall off trees if the branches are shaken. When the trees are plentiful, acorns are an essential food source for the local wildlife. Birds, rodents and deer commonly eat acorns that have fallen to the ground. read more

Acorns are small fruit for such big trees, but the oaks pack their pods full of everything they require to sprout and grow into seedlings. Because acorns fall from the trees and germinate in autumn, the seeds must provide their own energy for root growth rather than relying on sunshine-based photosynthesis. read more

The acorn, or oak nut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives. It usually contains a single seed, enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne in a cup-shaped cupule. Acorns are 1–6 cm long and 0.8–4 cm broad. Acorns take between 6 and 24 months to mature; see the list of Quercus species for details of oak classification, in which acorn morphology and phenology are important factors. read more