Quercus coccinea (Scarlet Oak)

Noted for its brilliant fall color, Quercus coccinea (Scarlet Oak) is a large deciduous tree of pyramidal habit in youth, becoming upright-spreading and open with age. The foliage of large, lustrous, dark green leaves, adorned with 7-9 lobes, turns brilliant red and scarlet in the fall. The magnificent fall color display may last 3-4 weeks. Inconspicuous yellow-green catkins appear in spring as the new leaves unfurl with a red hue. The acorns, if produced, are partly enclosed in a bowl-like cap. Prized for its spectacular fall color, poor soil tolerance, and wind resistance, Scarlet Oak is a very popular landscape choice. Useful as a shade or specimen tree, it is perfect for large areas where it adds beauty to the landscape.

• Grows up to 50-70 ft. tall (15-21 m) and 40-50 ft. wide (12-15 m).
• A full sun lover, this tree is easily grown in fertile, dry to medium moisture, acidic, well-drained soils. Adaptable to extremes of soil, but it prefers dry, sandy sites.
• Perfect as a specimen plant.
• May be affected by aphids, oak gall wasps, powdery mildew and oak wilt.
• Propagate by seed, sowing as soon as ripe, in a coldframe or grafting in mid-autumn or early winter.
• Toxic to horses.
• Native from Maine west to Michigan, south to Missouri and Mississippi, and east to South Carolina and the eastern Atlantic coast.