Wasowski, Sally and Andy
Quercus falcata Michx.
Southern red oak, Spanish oak
Fagaceae (Beech Family)
Southern red oak is a medium-sized, straight-trunked oak which, in time, develops long, spreading branches, giving the top an even, well-formed appearance. Its smooth gray
bark becomes dark and furrowed, eventually becoming black. Thin, papery, lobed, bristle-tipped
deciduous leaves turn reddish-brown in fall. Twigs
pubescent reddish-brown
twig with star shaped pith; reddish-brown terminal
bud is ovoid and pubescent. Leaf
petiole 3/4 - 2 3/8 inches (19 - 60 mm) in length, smooth to sparsely pubescent; leaves are elliptical to
ovate, 4 - 11 3/4 inches (101 - 298 mm) long and 2 3/8 - 6 1/4 inches (60 - 159 mm) wide, u-shaped base, margin has 3 - 7 deeply divided lobes with 1 - 3 bristle-tipped teeth,
apex longer than lateral lobes; upper surface a glossy green often with some pubescence along
midrib, lower surface covered with gray or tawny pubescence, secondary veins raised on both surfaces.
Often called Spanish Oak, possibly because it commonly occurs in areas of the early Spanish colonies. It is unlike any oaks
native to Spain. The lumber is marketed as Red Oak. Cherrybark Oak (
Q. pagoda Raf.) is sometimes considered a variety of
Q. falcata (
Q. falcata var.
pagodifolia Ell). The lobes of its leaves taper to points that remind some people of the graduated roofs of pagodas. The leaves have 5-11 broad shallow lobes and whitish hairs beneath, and the
bark is smooth and cherry-like with short ridges.
Image Gallery:
4 photo(s) available
Plant Characteristics
Duration: Perennial Habit: Tree Leaf Retention: Deciduous Leaf Arrangement: Alternate Leaf Complexity: Simple Leaf Shape: Elliptic ,
Ovate Leaf Venation: Pinnate Leaf Margin: Lobed
Breeding System: Flowers
Unisexual ,
Monoecious Inflorescence: Catkin Fruit Type: Nut Size Notes: Moderately fast growing, medium to large
tree, which grows to 150 feet (45.7 m).
Leaf: Upper surface a glossy green often with some pubescence along
midrib, lower surface covered with gray or tawny pubescence.
Autumn Foliage: yes
Fruit: Acorns biennial; thin, reddish-brown cup with
pubescent inner and outer surface, usually covers up to 1/3 of the nut; rounded, brown
nut, 3/8 - 5/8 inch (9 - 16 mm) long, may be striated at the tip with pubescence. Maximum potential height is 70 ft., alth
Size Class: More than 100 ft.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May
Distribution
USA: AL , AR , DE , FL , GA , IL , IN , KY , LA , MD , MS , MO , NJ , NC , OH , OK , PA , SC , TN , TX , VA , WV , DC
Native Distribution: Occurs from New Jersey and Florida west to Oklahoma and Texas.
Native Habitat: Dry upland sites of sandy or clay loam throughout the southeastern United States.
USDA Native Status: L48(N) Growing Conditions
Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium
Cold Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Sandy, loamy or clay soils. Acid-based, Sandy, Sandy Loam
Conditions Comments: Southern red oak can subsist on some of the most abused, degraded soils found anywhere in the South. In these conditions, however, the
tree develops a weather-beaten, unkempt appearance. The
tree grows relatively quickly, for an oak, and is long-lived.
Benefit
Use Ornamental: Shade
tree, Fall conspicuous, Long-living, Fast growing
Use Wildlife: Substrate-insectivorous birds, Nesting site, Fruit-birds, mammals, rodents, deer. Cover.
Use Other: Southern red oak lumber is marketed as red oak for construction and furniture.
Attracts: Butterflies
Larval Host: Banded hairstreak, White M hairstreak.
Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)
Quercus falcata is a larval host and/or nectar source for:
Last Update: 2011-09-25
