My dad's back yard has become a deer camp. Now we are making it cool.

Oak Mysteries, Continued

A group of four oaks amid fallen leaves, to the left of a pond; the two on the left have much rougher bark than the two on the right.

We may have three species of oaks instead of two. By the pond this morning I found that the oaks nearer the pond have less rough bark and the sorts of leaves that have deep sinuses from the previous post.

However some of the oaks standing back from the pond have much rougher bark. Some of their leaves are still on, and they are a different shape than the other two. Oblong with a distinct tip, so definitely a member of the red oak group.

Branches that still have brown oak leaves attached, which are oblong but with a distinct point on the end.

A group of acorns and their detached caps on a black surface, the focus being on one of the caps.

Here are the acorns I found along the fence line yesterday. They are nearly spherical and have a very pronounced tip on the end. The cap is more bumpy than flaky or scaly. As far as I can tell with my limited vision.

Acorns on a black surface, the focus being on two capless acorns that are nearly spherical with a heavily pronounced point on the end.

Acorns on a black surface, most of which don't have caps, the focus being on one that does have a cap; they are nearly spherical with a pronounced point and the caps are more bumpy than scaly or flaky.

How is all this pertinent to permaculture? I'm still working on my maps, and will be for the duration of the course. The base map didn't have any trees on it because any of these trees may be removed. None of them are hands off. However, that doesn't mean they all go either. They do all have to be mapped out as I make a plan. And they need to properly be identified for species.

Why does that matter?

Did you know that some acorns drop the same seasonal year they start forming, while others drop two seasonal years after they start forming, while the next round of acorns are budding? That pattern has a lot to do with the interdependent species in the environment. That has to be taken into account.

#PermacultureDesignCertificate #PDC #OregonStateUniversity #permaculture