Scarlet Oak provides the most beautiful fall foliage of all the oaks. It prefers dry soils and full sun.
Like other oaks, Scarlet Oak is a top tree for biodiversity, supporting hundreds of species of caterpillars. Scarlet Oak provides nesting, cover and shelter for wildlife, and mammals and birds eat the acorns as well as the caterpillars that feed on the tree.
Its closest cousin would be the Pin Oak, which has a pyramidial shape with the lowest branches angling downward, the middle branches extending horizontally and the top branches angled upward.
All the branches on Scarlet Oak curve upward, giving the tree an open and sometimes irregular appearance.
Fun fact: Scarlet Oak is considered the state tree of the District of Columbia.
Photos: Creative Commons. 1st Photo: Katja Schulz
Oak, Scarlet
- Latin: Quercus coccinea
- Pollinator value: Medium
- Current height: 2-4 feet
- Mature height: 60 – 80 feet; 40-50-foot spread
- Growth Rate: Medium (13” – 24” per year)
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Dry to medium, adapts to moist
- Foliage: Brilliant red; finest fall colors of the species
- Landscape uses: Stately shade tree
- More information and native range here