The Acorn Ledger
The Acorn Ledger is an independent guide to mast-producing trees and wildlife habitat. It explains irregular seed crops, compares hard and soft mast, and helps land stewards match diverse native plantings to real sites. It sells no seedlings and promises no instant acorn buffet.
What Is a Mast Year? Why Seed Crops Boom and Bust
A mast year is a season when a population of trees produces an unusually large seed crop, often with many individuals fruiting in synchrony across an area.
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Hard Mast vs Soft Mast: Build a Longer Food Calendar
Hard mast is nutlike tree and shrub fruit such as acorns, hickory nuts, beechnuts, and chestnuts; soft mast is fleshy fruit such as persimmon, cherry,…
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Oak, Hickory, and Beech Mast: A Field Comparison
Oak, hickory, and American beech all provide hard mast, but they differ in fruit, timing, site needs, and reliability.
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How to Plant Mast Trees for Wildlife Habitat
Plant mast trees for wildlife by inventorying existing habitat first, then choosing several locally native species matched to soil, drainage, light,…
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