| Description | Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea) is a large native deciduous tree that can reach 80 by 60 feet. The fall color of scarlets and oranges adds interest in the fall. |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | (KWER-kus)(kok-SIN-ee-a) |
| Plant Type | Trees Deciduous |
| Hardiness Zone | 4-9 |
| Sunlight | full |
| Moisture | average |
| Soil & Site | Found growing on dry, sterile, sandy soils. |
| Fruit | 1/2-1 inch long acorns, enclosed 1/2-1/3 in a bowl shaped cup |
| Leaves | Alternate, simple, oval-shaped leaves with 5-9 bristle-tipped lobes turning red in the fall. |
| Stems | The bark is dark brown to nearly black, flaky when young, and furrowed later. |
| Roots | Forms a tap root. |
| Dimensions | It forms an irregular, rounded, or oblong open crown with a short trunk reaching 70 feet. |
| Propagation | stratified acorns |
| Native Site | Eastern United States, southern Canada |
| Cultivar Origin | Introduced in 1691 |
| Misc Facts | Roasted acorns have been ground and used as a coffee substitute. The wood is used in construction for floors, etc. The genus name, Quercus, is the Latin name for oak trees. The epithet, coccinea, means scarlet and refers to the color of the fall foliage. Scarlet oak is not subject to chlorosis problems as much as the closely related pin oak (Q. palustris). |
| Notes & Reference | #01-Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (Michael Dirr), #93-North American Landscape Trees (Arthur Lee Jacobson), #94-Trees of the Eastern and Central United States and Canada, #275-North Carolina Botanical Garden (https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/) |
Cart
