Quercus rubra is a large shade tree that thrives in dry sites, often with good brick-red autumn color, becoming very rounded to spreading with age. Northern Red Oak is probably the most common landscape Oak of the midwest.
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F E A T U R E S |
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Form
-large shade tree
-maturing at about 60' tall x 80' wide under urban conditions, but much larger in the wild
-upright oval growth habit in youth, becoming rounded to spreading with age
-medium growth rate |
Foliage
Foliage
-shiny dark green, alternate, with an overall shape that is obovate and about 7" long, with 7-11 prominent bristle-tipped lobes (identifying it as belonging to the Red Oak group), with each lobe incised and with a deep sinus on each side, having a 1.5" long petiole that turns a distinctive yellow or red by mid-summer
-autumn color is usually brick red to scarlet and very attractive (but may on occasion be brown-red to yellowish-brown in poor years) |
Flowers
-yellow-brown pendulous male catkins are obvious and prominent in late Apr., but are ornamentally insignificant, as are the very small pistillate flowers |
Fruit
-a relatively large oval acorn (1" long) that matures over 2 seasons, with a wide cap that covers the upper one-fourth of the nut, on a very short peduncle and either single or in pairs, but clustered on the second-year wood and often with a heavy mast crop (abundant fruit production) |
Twig
-greenish- to reddish-brown, turning gray by the second year and somewhat stout |
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Trunk
-dark gray to black, being lightly furrowed with flat-topped subtle ridges through middle age, and becoming deeply furrowed with a light reddish interior bark in old age
-branches arising directly from the trunk are relatively few, but large, adding to the bold texture by their size, and by exposing the large trunk more than most Oaks |
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C U L T
U R E
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Culture
-full sun to partial sun (partial shade tolerant in youth)
-performs best in full sun in moist, deep, acidic, well-drained soils, but is very adaptable to poor soils, dry soils, and soils of various pH
-propagated by seeds
-no serious diseases or pests
-commonly available in the trade
-member of the Red Oak group; some of these members may hybridize freely in the wild, resulting in a blending of traits such as leaf shape and fruit size |
Hardiness
-zones 5 to 8
Origin
-native to the Eastern half of the U.S.
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U S A G E |
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Assets
-one of the most rapidly growing and vigorous Oaks
good brick-red autumn color
-the most bold-textured member of the Red Oak group
-urban tolerant in general, especially to dry sites
-one of the best Oaks for transplant success
-abundant nuts attract wildlife (large birds, deer, and especially squirrels)
Liabilities
-fruit litter with maturity |
Function
-shade tree for large lawns, parks, golf courses, corporate centers, or naturalized areas
-valuable timber tree, with its wood prized for beams, boards, railroad ties, and furniture
Texture
-bold texture in foliage and when bare
-average density in foliage but open when bare |
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S E L
E C T I 0 N S |
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Varieties
and Cultivars
- Search
OSU PlantFacts for additional plants in this species
Alternates
-large shade trees (Acer saccharum, Fagus sylvatica, Liriodendron tulipifera, Quercus shumardii, Zelkova serrata, etc.)
-trees for dry sites (Celtis occidentalis, Gleditsia triacanthos, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Quercus alba, Quercus macrocarpa, etc.) |