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Quercus texana

Previously known as:

  • Quercus nuttallii
  • Quercus nuttallii var. cachensis
  • Quercus palustris f. nuttallii
  • Quercus shumardii subsp. texana
  • Quercus shumardii var. texana
Phonetic Spelling
KWER-kus tek-SAY-nuh
This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
See below
Description

Nuttall oak is a decidous tree in the Fagaceae (oak) family.  It is native to wet, heavy, bottomland soils in floodplain forests along the gulf coasts and up the Mississippi river basin. Nuttall oak is a beautiful, large, shade tree and provides rich, red-orange fall color.  It grows up to 80 feet tall with a 50-60' spread forming a large, stately tree with a narrow, rather open, rounded canopy that is somewhat reminiscent of Red Oak.

Well adapted to a wide range of soil types, it does well in low moist areas but is also drought tolerant once established. The crown spreads with age becoming round at maturity. The 4-8" long deciduous leaves are deeply-lobed (more so that Quercus rubra) and have bristles on the tips of some lobes. A lovely dark green during most of the year, this plant puts on a vivid display of brilliant red to red-orange fall and winter foliage, providing a dramatic landscape statement. Fall and winter coloration varies from year to year in USDA hardiness zones 8 and 9. During the winter the bare tree provides interesting branching patterns.

This large shade tree is highly adaptable to urban conditions and does well as a street tree. The acorns mature over 2 seasons and attract birds and small mammals and the tree is a larval host plant for many moths and butterflies making it an excellent choice for a specimen or shade tree in a wildlife garden.  It is a host plant for the larvae of the Imperial moth (Eacles imperialis), as well as numerous butterflies, including Banded hairstreak (Satyrium calanus)Edward's hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii)Gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus)White-m hairstreak (Parrhasius malbum)Horace's duskywing (Erynnis horatius), and Juvenalis duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis).

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious pests or diseases.

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Sangria'
'Sangria'
Tags:
#deciduous#shade tree#full sun tolerant#drought tolerant#specimen#large tree#moth caterpillar host#fall interest#street tree#small mammals#deer resistant#adaptable#acorns#nighttime garden#oak#pollinator plant#fantz#larval host plant#urban conditions tolerant#wet soils tolerant#food source hard mast fruit#butterfly friendly#problem for horses#banded hairstreak butterfly#gray hairstreak butterfly#imperial moth#juvenal’s duskywing butterfly#edward’s hairstreak butterfly#white-m hairstreak butterfly#horace’s duskywing butterfly#butterfly caterpillar host#pollinator garden#wildlife friendly#hs111#hs303
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Sangria'
'Sangria'
Tags:
#deciduous#shade tree#full sun tolerant#drought tolerant#specimen#large tree#moth caterpillar host#fall interest#street tree#small mammals#deer resistant#adaptable#acorns#nighttime garden#oak#pollinator plant#fantz#larval host plant#urban conditions tolerant#wet soils tolerant#food source hard mast fruit#butterfly friendly#problem for horses#banded hairstreak butterfly#gray hairstreak butterfly#imperial moth#juvenal’s duskywing butterfly#edward’s hairstreak butterfly#white-m hairstreak butterfly#horace’s duskywing butterfly#butterfly caterpillar host#pollinator garden#wildlife friendly#hs111#hs303
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Quercus
    Species:
    texana
    Family:
    Fagaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Woody
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Seed
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Central southern US
    Distribution:
    AL, AR, IL, KY, LA, MO, MS, TN, TX
    Wildlife Value:
    Oak trees support a wide variety of Lepidopteran. You may see Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed. Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus), which have one flight from June-August everywhere but Florida where they emerge April-May. Edward's Hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii), has one flight from May-July in the south and June-July in the north. Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), has three to four flights in the south from February-November and two flights in the north from May-September. White-M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album) has three broods in the north from February-October. Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) has three broods in Texas and the deep south from January-November, and two broods in the north from April-September. Juvenal’s Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis) has one brood from April-June, appearing as early as January in Florida. Mildly resistant to deer. Birds and mammals eat the acorns.
    Edibility:
    Acorns are edible once the tannins have been leached or boiled out.
    Dimensions:
    Height: 40 ft. 0 in. - 80 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 30 ft. 0 in. - 60 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Perennial
    Poisonous
    Tree
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Habit/Form:
    Rounded
    Growth Rate:
    Rapid
    Maintenance:
    Medium
    Texture:
    Coarse
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Soil Texture:
    Clay
    Loam (Silt)
    Sand
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Neutral (6.0-8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Occasionally Wet
    Available Space To Plant:
    24-60 feet
    more than 60 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Mountains
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Fall
    Fruit Type:
    Nut
    Fruit Length:
    1-3 inches
    Fruit Width:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Description:
    3/4 - 1-inch oval acorns with a shallow thin scaly brown cap covering 1/2- 1/3 of the nut. Matures in 2 years.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Catkin
    Insignificant
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Spring
    Flower Description:
    Male flowers are borne in clustered, yellowish-green catkins.
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Purple/Lavender
    Leaf Value To Gardener:
    Showy
    Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
    Orange
    Red/Burgundy
    Leaf Type:
    Simple
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Alternate
    Leaf Shape:
    Lanceolate
    Leaf Margin:
    Lobed
    Hairs Present:
    Yes
    Leaf Length:
    > 6 inches
    Leaf Width:
    3-6 inches
    Leaf Description:
    4 to 9 in. alternate, simple leaves with 5 to 9 deeply cut lobes. Undersides are paler with hair tufts in the axils. It has reddish-purple new growth which turns dark green in summer. Fall color is reddish-orange and leaves fall clean.
  • Bark:
    Bark Color:
    Black
    Dark Brown
    Dark Gray
    Surface/Attachment:
    Ridges
    Bark Description:
    The bark at first is grey-brown and smooth. Turns black with flat ridges with age.
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Gray/Silver
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Surface:
    Smooth (glabrous)
    Stem Description:
    Twigs are brown to grey and hairless. The buds are grey-brown, ovoid, slightly pubescent with ciliate scales.
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Lawn
    Naturalized Area
    Pond
    Landscape Theme:
    Butterfly Garden
    Nighttime Garden
    Pollinator Garden
    Design Feature:
    Shade Tree
    Specimen
    Street Tree
    Attracts:
    Butterflies
    Moths
    Pollinators
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer
    Drought
    Urban Conditions
    Wet Soil
    Problems:
    Problem for Horses
  • Poisonous to Humans:
    Poison Severity:
    Low
    Poison Symptoms:
    Stomach pain, constipation and later bloody diarrhea, excessive thirst and urination if young leaves and raw acorns eaten.
    Poison Toxic Principle:
    Gallotannins, quercitrin, and quercitin.
    Causes Contact Dermatitis:
    No
    Poison Part:
    Fruits
    Leaves