One of the best shrub oaks. Begins producing acorns at a young age, often when only three or four years old. Unlike many oaks, once it starts bearing, it has a good crop almost every year. Its acorns are also less bitter and more palatable to wildlife than those of most other oaks. Sulfur-yellow catkins in spring. Chocolate acorns late summer. Can be grown as a large shrub or pruned into a small tree.