How Many Years Can It Take for an Oak Tree to Produce Its First Acorn?

Time Frame

• Dependent on the species, it can take as many as 20 years for an oak tree to produce its first acorn. As it matures, the tree increases its production capabilities, with peak production of acorns occurring on the oak between 50 and 80 years of age. Once the tree has lived eight decades or more, it begins to ease into retirement and decreases the number of acorns that pop from its limbs.

Sawtooth Oak

• One species of oak, the sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima) is capable of providing acorns much sooner than its relatives. A native of Asia reaching a maximum height of 50 to 70 feet, this tree was introduced into the U.S. in 1962 and garnered attention largely due to its ability to offer acorns as early as 5 to 8 years of age -- in a nursery -- with 8 to 10 years a more reliable number when planted in the landscape.

Sunshine

• Oak trees planted in northern locales with cooler temperatures and shorter growing seasons will require longer to start growing acorns. The amount of sunshine an oak receives can also adversely affect both the number of acorns a tree grows and the length of time required for the nut to initially grow on the tree. When planting seedlings, they should be placed in an area where an overhead canopy opening at least 50 feet wide exists. This will allow sufficient sunshine to reach the young oak.

Annual Production

• The annual acorn production of an oak tree often varies substantially from year to year. A season that brings a bountiful crop will typically be followed by a year when the number of acorns produced is minimal. This is because the tree has used up all of the available nitrogen in the nearby earth to produce the acorn and requires at least a year to regenerate and replenish the spent nutrition. The genetic makeup of the particular family also affects how often -- and to what extent -- the oak tree shares its acorns.