IOWA CITY, Iowa — Oak trees are having a good year in eastern Iowa, and that means a strong crop of acorns are falling to the ground.
Mark Vitas with Iowa Department of Natural Resources says the white oaks that have done pretty well overall. He says the crop is variable, meaning one stand of trees may be doing very well, but another down may be having an average year.
“Everyone I’ve talked to with basically says that the crop this year is variable really good in some places, average and others, Vitas says. “I wouldn’t call this an outstanding year, but anytime we get good acorns, that’s good for wildlife.”
Backyard wildlife are the main users of the crop. Although historically early Iowans did eat acorns, the tannins in means they aren’t a good fit for humans…