Knowra Acorn Acorn An acorn is the seed-bearing fruit of an oak tree, enclosed in a tough shell and partly covered by a scaly cupule. It develops into a new oak when conditions permit.
Oak : A tree or shrub in the genus Quercus, producing lobed or toothed leaves and acorn fruits. Acorns are the characteristic fruits of oaks.
Jays : A group of colorful, intelligent birds in the crow family, many of which cache seeds and nuts. Jays carry and bury acorns, sometimes leaving them to sprout.
Seed dispersal : The movement of seeds away from their parent plants by animals, wind, water, or other means. Animals transport acorns beyond the shade of the parent oak.
White oak : An oak group in the genus Quercus whose species commonly have rounded leaf lobes and acorns maturing in one growing season. White-oak acorns often germinate soon after falling and tend to be less tannic than red-oak acorns.
Nut (fruit) : A dry, usually one-seeded fruit with a hard wall that does not split open at maturity. An acorn is botanically a nut, though not a true nut in culinary usage.
Acorn woodpecker : A social North American woodpecker that stores acorns in holes drilled into trees and other structures. It depends on stored acorns as a major food resource.
Scatter-hoarding : The behavior of storing food items separately in many locations for later retrieval. Buried acorns can escape consumption and germinate after forgotten caches.
Red oak : An oak group in the genus Quercus whose species commonly have pointed leaf lobes and acorns maturing over two growing seasons. Red-oak acorns remain dormant through winter and often contain more tannins.
Seed : A plant structure containing an embryo and stored resources, capable of developing into a new plant. The acorn’s seed contains the embryo of a potential oak.
Wild boar : A large omnivorous pig native to Eurasia and North Africa, now introduced in many regions. Fallen acorns are a significant seasonal food for wild boar.
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