Those Pesky Acorns
If you have an oak tree in your yard, chances are you see
your fair share of acorns. Pesky
when you are trying to keep your yard up, yes, but these little seeds are a
pretty amazing part of nature. So
amazing that artists, poets and storytellers alike have all been using the
story of the acorn to inspire their work.
Like this great quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “The creation of a
thousand forests is in one acorn.”
The little acorn is food to over 100 species of birds and
animals around the world, some of which rely solely on this nut for nutrients. Oak
trees actually depend on these animals, especially birds and squirrels to
disperse their seeds. Because
acorns are so heavy, they can only fall so far from the tree, so the animals
bring the acorns all over so they have a chance to grow.
In the U.S. alone, there are over 60 species of oak trees
that produce acorns of all different shapes and sizes. In a good year, just one of these trees
can produce thousands of acorns!
Why do these trees produce so many acorns? For one, the odds of one acorn actually growing into a tree
are less than 1 in 10,000! For an
oak tree to be able to begin producing acorns they must be at least 20 years
old and some do not produce acorns until they are over 50 years old. The older the tree is, the more acorns
they will produce.
So, what should you do about the thousands of acorns in your
yard? Since so many animals are
reliant on these nutrient-filled seeds, we don’t recommend doing away with
them! If you just can’t have them
in your yard, try raking them up and throwing them somewhere away from your
yard.
If you have some beautiful oak trees in your yard, these are
trees to be treasured! They are,
after all, the national trees of the U.S.
If you want to keep your oak trees (and other trees) healthy, call
Atlanta Tree Professionals at 404-644-8733 and we’ll help you do just that!
