W126 How Do Acorns Develop?

Each year during the spring months as the days get longer and warmer, the forest comes alive with new plant growth. Conditions needed for growth (warmer temperatures, moisture, extended day length, etc.) scarce over the winter months, reappear and stimulate new life. Each species responds at its own pace to these changes as flowers are born. For oak trees, as leaves begin to unfurl, flower buds also expand and bloom. Ultimately, a new crop of acorns will mature from these flowers and disperse into new habitats (Figure 1).