What type of tree do acorns come from?

What type of tree do acorns come from? Acorns come from oak trees. Botanically, an acorn is the nut-like fruit of an oak, a tree in the genus Quercus.

Oak trees produce acorns after flowering, with the seed enclosed in a hard shell and partly covered by a distinctive cup called a cupule. Depending on the oak species, acorns may mature in one season or take two years. Once released, an acorn can sprout into a new oak if it lands in suitable soil and receives enough moisture.

Acorns are also an important food source. Squirrels, jays, deer, wild pigs, and many other animals eat them, while animals that cache acorns can help disperse oak seeds. People sometimes confuse acorns with other tree nuts, but birches produce small winged fruits, maples produce paired samaras, and pines produce seeds in cones rather than acorns.

Oak species vary widely in acorn size, shape, flavor, and bitterness. Some contain high levels of tannins and require processing before human consumption.