Quercus rubra

Common Names

Red Oak, Northern Red Oak

Summary

Northern Red Oak is a deciduous hardwood native to eastern North America and parts of southeastern Canada, it is a large, fast-growing tree with a rounded, dense crown, typically 60–75 feet tall and 50–75 feet wide in open settings, leaves are alternate, simple, 7–11-lobed with bristle-tipped lobes, dark green above and lighter below, turning russet-red to bright red in autumn, the bark is dark gray to nearly black, becoming furrowed with age, acorns mature in two years, and the wood is a valuable hardwood used for furniture, veneer, interior finishing, cabinetry, paneling, flooring, and posts, the tree provides wildlife value with acorns serving as a food source and it is commonly used as a shade, street, or specimen tree in landscapes, grown in full sun and well-drained soils, it tolerates clay, loam, or sand with acidic to neutral pH, and shows urban tolerance and drought tolerance once established, plant with ample spacing to accommodate the mature crown, water regularly during establishment and mulch to conserve moisture, pruning is usually done in the dormant season to reduce oak wilt risk, and a central leader growth habit helps structure, propagation is by acorns, acorns are small and easily cleaned up, used widely as a shade, street, or specimen tree in landscapes and urban settings, with fall color that enhances ornamental value and wildlife value through the acorns.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

60-75 feet

Spread

720-900 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 4-8

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Full Sun to Partial Shade.

Soil Type

Fertile, acidic, well-drained sandy loam soil (pH about 5.0–6.5)

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Soil pH

5.0-6.5, Acidic to mildly acidic soil, Does not tolerate high-pH soils (alkaline) and tolerates up to around pH 7.0

Bloom Color

Insignificant

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Green foliage that turns red in autumn.

Fall Foliage Color

Red

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Fast-growing, 1.5-2 feet per year

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Cuttings, Grafting

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts birds; acorns eaten by birds; leaves host butterfly larvae; pollinator attraction noted in some sources, but bees and hummingbirds not consistently indicated.