55 Acorn Facts: Anatomy, Habitat, Uses And More

Acorns are one kind of fruit with a hard mast that belongs to the oak family.

They are very nutritious in nature with good amounts of carbohydrates, protein, fat, and other nutrients. Every year, during fall, acorns become one of the main sources of food for many birds and animals.

Acorns can also be consumed by humans with proper precautions. These nuts of oak trees are known for possessing tannins that can be harmful to humans and many animals, including horses and dogs.

On the other hand, if leached properly, these fruits can be used to make acorn coffee, acorn brittle, acorn flour, and roasted acorns. They are also known for regulating cholesterol balance, fighting diseases like diabetes, osteoporosis, and healing injuries and cuts in the body.

So, let's see some of the intriguing facts about these versatile nuts and oak trees.

Facts About Oak Trees

We all have seen an oak tree either in the wild or somewhere else. Here are some of the facts about these trees that might enlighten you.

• It is believed that the evolution of oak trees started between 40-60 million years ago in Asia, Europe, and North America. Today, about 600 species are extant.
• The lifespan of an oak tree varies from 200-1,000 years. However, The Pechanga Great Oak Tree in the US is believed to be nearly 2,000 years old.
• This one is also considered to be the oldest oak tree in the world.
• Their size also varies from species to species, but on average, an oak tree can be 50-70 ft (15.2-21.3 m) in length with a branch-to-branch width of 150 ft (45.7 m).
• On average, oaks produce about 2,000 acorns per year individually. However, only one in 10,000 has the potential of turning into an adult oak tree.
• About 10 million acorns are produced by an oak tree during its lifetime.
• The Emancipation Oak in Virginia is recognized as one of the most important oak trees by The National Geographic Society.
• While they can be both evergreen and deciduous, oak trees in warmer climates are mostly evergreen.
• Acorns of white oaks tend to be less tannic than their red cousins.
• Oak trees reproduce through their fruits, and that's why uncountable acorns fall every year to become fresh oaks.
• Oaks depend on seed dispersal agents to carry them a minimum of 66-98 ft (20-29.8 m) away from the parent tree so that the seeds can have access to sunlight, adequate water, and soil nutrients.
• White oak can be easily told apart from a red one. While the oak leaves of red oaks possess pointed lobes, the leaves of white oaks have rounded ones.
• The United States recognizes oak trees as the national tree.
• The structure of the cathedral of Notre Dame was made of 13,000 oaks in total. In the catastrophic Notre Dame fire in 2019, the oak frame of the cathedral was destroyed.
• Oaks also symbolize endurance and patience since acorns only ripen on an adult oak tree.
• The fruits of red oaks are also different from their cousin trees. While an acorn of a red oak tree has a hairy inner surface of the cap, the inner surface of a white oak acorn's cap is always hairless.
• While the white oaks can reach maturity in the same year as they were formed, red oaks reach that stage in their second year.
• Lastly, acorns that fall from white oaks can germinate in the same year, but the ones belonging to red oaks will only germinate in the spring after fall.

Anatomy Of An Acorn

By now, we all know that acorns are much nutritious and are very important to the environment. So, let's see the functions of the different parts of an acorn.

• Acorns are generally small in size with a maximum length of 2.4 in (6 cm) and a maximum breadth of 1.6 in (4 cm).
• On average, an acorn can take 6-24 months to mature completely.
• The structure of acorns consists of a cupule, the hard outer shell and the cap, and a kernel, the seed that is placed inside and is protected by the cupule.
• The kernel comprises two cotyledons. Cotyledons are the fatty seed leaves that surround the embryo placed in the nut's pointed tip.
• Some of the pounding acorns manage to avoid being the food of acorn-eating animals. Later, these acorns germinate and become new oak trees.
• After acorns sprout, they become less nutritious, and the seed tissue is replaced by the indigestible lignins that later become the root.
• Many young acorns become home to the larvae of some weevils and moths. As they develop, these larvae feed on the kernels of the nuts.
• Acorns possess large amounts of carbohydrates, fats, protein, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamin niacin. However, they also possess tannins varying in amount from species to species.
• You can remove the harmful tannins by boiling chopped acorns over and over again.
• It increases the reliability of resources when several species of oaks overlap; something that is very common in California.
• One of the most interesting things about acorns is that, unlike other plant foods, they can be stored for a long time and do not actually need to be processed immediately.

Uses Of Acorns

Acorns grow on oak trees, and they play an important role in the diet of many animals. Apart from that, acorns have many uses in our lives too.

• First of all, the tree nut can be consumed raw, but it can be hard to digest due to the tannins present in it.
• Roasted acorns can be a great snack for anyone, and they can be used in other foods too. It is the easiest way of cooking acorns.
• Acorns can be used to make acorn coffee, one of the most popular uses of this fruit. Even though acorn coffee neither has caffeine nor tastes like coffee, it is still very warming and delicious.
• Acorns can also be used to make acorn brittle. The recipe here remains the same as peanut brittle, except that acorns are used in lieu of peanuts.
• Once tannins are removed from chopped acorns, they can be ground to make acorn flour.
• Once boiled or soaked, the tannin-rich water can be used to soothe rashes and burns. It also speeds up the healing process of wounds and cuts and can be used to treat pains and aches.
• Acorns are filled with fibers and can help to improve digestive health. It is effective on gastrointestinal problems, bloating, and cramping, and they also help to eliminate diarrhea and constipation.
• Acorns are also known for regulating blood sugar levels in the body. Also, they help to heal many complications caused by diabetes.
• Acorns have a large amount of unsaturated fat that can help to improve the overall cholesterol balance in the body.
• These nuts are also effective in preventing atherosclerosis, obesity, and other dangerous conditions that are detrimental to the heart.
• Acorns possess a high level of complex carbohydrates that gives the consumer long-lasting energy reserves.
• Acorn coffee is also a great source of long-lasting energy and is better than regular energy drinks filled with simple sugar or empty carbs.
• Acorns are known for boosting bone health. They have an impressive mix of minerals, including potassium, calcium, and phosphorus that help to prevent bone diseases, such as osteoporosis.
• Acorns are a great source of vitamin B (thiamine, niacin, and riboflavin) and are extremely helpful for regulating metabolism.
• Acorns also have an important place in the Nordic mythologies. It is believed that an acorn on a windowsill can prevent lightning strikes because Thor, the God of thunder, once took shelter under an oak tree.
• Lastly, these nuts also help in the creation of new tissues and in healing injuries. Proteins promote a healthy lifestyle, and you will find a lot of them in acorns.

Which animals eat acorns?

Many animals include acorns in their diet. These nutrient-filled nuts are consumed by humans too.

• Acorns are much loved by birds. To blue jays, ducks, pigeons, and some species of woodpeckers, acorns are an important food.
• There are a large number of small mammals that feed on acorns, like squirrels, mice, and various other species of rodents.
• Large mammals, such as pigs, deer, and bears too consume significant amounts of acorns. In autumn, these nuts constitute nearly 25% of the diet of deer.
• Most of the acorn-eating animals eat stored acorns only after the nuts are leached by a sufficient amount of groundwater, and some use other foods to buffer their acorn diet.
• While most of the acorn-eating animals eat the ripe fruit from the ground, some attack the unripe acorns hanging on the trees.
• To store acorns for the future, Jays and squirrels plant the fruits in various places. It can be possible for those acorns to germinate in some of those places.
• Even though today acorns are only a minor food for humans, they were once a dietary staple.
• Long ago, humans used to store dried acorns in hollow trees to save them from other acorn predators, such as squirrels and nice.
• In SouthWest Europe, there are certain oak forests where pigs munch on a large number of acorns in fall.
• However, these oak nuts are not safe for certain animals, like horses, cattle, and dogs.