A single oak tree can produce nearly 10,000 acorns in a reproductive season. Most of those acorns fall to the ground during autumn and early winter, but their crop yield varies each year.

Red oak species group acorns must be planted in the second season, meaning the following spring. These acorns need about 1,000 hours of cold, or around 42 days. This is called stratification.

So if you have an oak tree in your yard that's currently pouring down acorns, those nuts actually developed in 2023 taking until this fall to mature and then drop.

What he’s hearing are acorns dropping from the white oak tree on the other side of our house. The acorns hit the roof, bounce down the slope, crash into the metal gutter and then drop to the deck.

Acorns from an oak tree near DePaul University. Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times Another theory about what prompts a mast year could involve environmental clues scientists haven’t figured out.

In fact, brown acorns are good. This is a sign that the acorn was able to grow, mature, and fall naturally from the oak tree. Green acorns aren't as good of a sign.

A rare look at the earliest stage of a pin oak tree shows how an acorn develops roots and leaves. Learn how one seedling was identified, transplanted and its role in supporting local wildlife.