10/01/2026
Mississippi has quite an extensive list of native oak trees! With 34 different species found in the state, you may wonder how to tell which is which. Although there are many ways you can identify each oak, the trees’ acorns are a great indication of species.
By looking at the acorn’s shape, color, and size, you’ll be able to identify which oak species it came from.
Here are just a few examples...
Willow Oak: The yellowish-brown acorns are small, rounded and typically 1/2 inch long. The cap covers about 1/3 of the nut and is greenish brown in color. Willow Oak acorns take two seasons to mature and typically fall in the fall of the second season.
Chinquapin Oak: These acorns are small to medium in size, oval shaped, and dark brown in color. The cap is thin and bowl-shaped, covering about1/4 of the nut. Chinquapin Oak acorns drop every fall.
Overcup Oak: Overcup Oak acorns are medium in size and are nearly enclosed by the entire cap. They drop annually in the fall.
Post Oak: Post Oak acorns are oval shaped and between 1/2 and 3/4 of an inch long. Their cap is bowl shaped and typically covers 1/3 of the nut. They drop from trees each year during fall.
Turkey Oak: These acorns are round and about 1/2 of an inch long. Their cap covers about 1/3 of the nut. Acorns drop every two seasons, with them falling in the fall of the second season.
