Red Oak Quercus coccinea
Other Common Name(s):
Other plants called Red Oak:
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
-
Scarlet Oak is a native deciduous tree in the beech family that grows 50 to 80 feet tall and spread between 45 and 60 feet. It is long-lived, durable and easy to grow. It is found in dry upland forests in the Piedmont and middle to lower mountains of NC. The tree prefers acidic sandy soils on the dry side but will tolerate other soils if they are well-drained.
It is often grown for its beautiful fall color and drought tolerance. It is an important source of food for many wildlife species. For an oak, it grows fast and bears acorns in 20 years. Due to thin bark, the tree has low fire resistance. Use as a shade tree or street tree.
Scarlet Oak is so named for its beautiful, red-colored fall leaves. It has fairly smooth grey bark in youth that roughens to a dark brown or black on the trunk of older specimens which can be four feet in diameter. Leaves are more deeply lobed than Quercus rubra but otherwise the trees look very much alike. The crown should be built like many other Oaks with a central trunk and lateral branches well spaced at two of three foot intervals. The rounded, spreading canopy makes the tree well suited for planting along streets. The trunk flares out at the base lifting sidewalks and curbing if planted in tree lawns less than eight feet wide,
Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: Leaf spots, anthracnose, canker, mildew, rust, rots, galls, and numerous insect problems have been reported. This tree is highly susceptible to oak wilt.
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Quercus
- Species:
- coccinea
- Family:
- Fagaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Native Americans and pioneers used the acorns for food. Roasted acorns have been ground and used as a coffee substitute.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Northern Central & Eastern U.S.A
- Distribution:
- AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV.
- Fire Risk Rating:
- high flammability
- Wildlife Value:
- The Scaret oak is a host plant for the Banded Hairstread, Edward's Hairstreak, Grey Hairstreak, White-M Hairstreak, Horace's Duskywing, and Juvenal's Duskywing butterflies. Acorns are eaten by woodpeckers, blue jays, small mammals, wild turkey, white-tailed deer, and black bear.
- Play Value:
- Wildlife Food Source
- Edibility:
- Acorns can be eaten once to tannins have been leached or boiled out.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 50 ft. 0 in. - 80 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 45 ft. 0 in. - 78 ft. 0 in.
-
-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Poisonous
- Tree
- Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Ascending
- Open
- Pyramidal
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Medium
-
-
Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 24-60 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- Usda Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
-
-
Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Nut
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- 1/2 to 1-inch long acorn occurs singly or in pairs and is half covered by a deep cap. Bitter in taste and require 2 seasons to mature. It starts producing at age 20.
-
-
Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Green
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Catkin
- Insignificant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Description:
- Separate male and female flowers in non-showy catkins.
-
-
Leaves:
- Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Lobed
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- The leaves are 3-6 inches long and 2.5- 4.5 inches wide and are a lustrous dark green above and paler below. The deeply cut lobes are bristle-tipped with c-shaped sinuses and 7 pointed lobes. The fall color is scarlet, showy and occurs late.
-
-
Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Dark Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Ridges
- Bark Description:
- On young trees, the bark is gray-brown, with smooth streaks. Later becomes darker and develops irregular broad ridges and narrow furrows especially near the base. The inner bark is red to orangish-pink.
-
-
Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Bud Terminal:
- Cluster of terminal buds
- Stem Description:
- Stems are red-brown with multiple terminal reddish-brown buds.
-
-
Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Lawn
- Meadow
- Naturalized Area
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Native Garden
- Design Feature:
- Shade Tree
- Specimen
- Street Tree
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Black Walnut
- Deer
- Dry Soil
- Problems:
- Frequent Disease Problems
- Frequent Insect Problems
- Poisonous to Humans
-
-
Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- Low
- Poison Symptoms:
- Stomach pain, constipation and later bloody diarrhea, excessive thirst and urination if young leaves or raw acorns eaten.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Gallotannins, quercitrin, and quercitin.
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- No
- Poison Part:
- Leaves
- Seeds
