![]() You might see squirrels burying acorns in the ground to store as a winter food supply, but they are not the only animals that like to eat acorns. Although most acorns contain tannins, which are toxic to humans, they can be boiled to remove the toxin and then the acorn can be eaten. Like other seeds and nuts, acorns are nutrient dense and a good food source for many animals. To learn more about the life cycle of the oak tree and how acorns fit in, visit this post for a lesson and free printable game! Oak Tree Life Cycle Lesson And Memory Game They need the winter cold to prepare the seed. The red oak acorns wait until spring to sprout. Then, in the spring they send up their leaf shoot. They start to root into the ground as soon as they fall from the tree. Won’t such a vulnerable little thing freeze and die in the fast approaching winter? Did it get too warm and get “tricked” into sprouting early?Īctually, fall sprouting is normal for the white oak acorns. The leaf litter that collects on the ground in the fall is enough protection for the acorns so they can sprout. Most acorns are “planted” by the trees themselves. Squirrels do bury acorns in the fall as part of their winter storage of food, but very few of those acorns grow into trees. ![]() Lots of people think that acorns are planted by squirrels. If you are very good, you can determine the species of oak tree just by looking at the acorn. Each oak tree species produces a unique acorn. There are over 600 species of oak trees world wide and each grows from a little tough shelled acorn with a rough cap that attaches it to the tree. They really make for a perfect nature study subject!Īcorns are seeds of oak trees. Each species of oak tree produces acorns of different size and color with varying caps. We are both fascinated by the different types of acorns and always come home with several in our pockets to examine later. This enables us to identify the tree without even seeing it! Each one has their unique leaves and acorns. On the trails we most frequent, there are several different species of oak trees. ![]() We always find lots of different types of oak leaves on the ground, which leads to us burrowing through them looking for acorns. My son and I like to take advantage of warm fall days and hit the trails looking for seeds and leaves. What a great opportunity to teach them about nature and the life cycle! How many of your kids have come home from a trip in the woods with pockets full of nuts and seeds? See what I mean? Kids are drawn to them. My kids have always been fascinated by seeds, whether it’s seed packets for planting in the spring or seeds on the ground in the fall.
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