Pin Oak Tree: Fast-Growing Native Shade Tree With Scarlet Fall Color
The pin oak (Quercus palustris) is a fast-growing native oak that reaches 50 to 70 feet tall, with a pyramidal crown, glossy lobed leaves and russet-red to scarlet fall color. Pin oak is hardy in USDA zones 4–8 and grows best in full sun. TN Nursery ships bare-root pin oak trees, Buy 1 Get 1 Free.
Pin oak is a member of the beech family, Fagaceae, and belongs to the red oak group. The pin oak tree grows wild from southern New England and New York west to Iowa and Kansas, and south to Tennessee, Arkansas and Oklahoma, where it lines river bottoms and the edges of wetlands. Gardeners also call pin oak swamp oak and swamp Spanish oak. The name comes from the short, pin-like spur twigs along the branches. A pin oak tree handles moist and seasonally wet soil better than most oaks.
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Botanical name: Quercus palustris, beech family (Fagaceae), red oak group
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Also called: swamp oak, swamp Spanish oak
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Mature size: 50–70 feet tall and 25–40 feet wide
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Growth rate: fast, often about 2 feet per year once established
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Leaves: glossy dark green, 3–6 inches long, with 5–7 deep, bristle-tipped lobes
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Fall color: russet, bronze and scarlet in October and November, with many leaves held into winter
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Acorns: round, striped, about 1/2 inch, ripening in their second fall
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What ships: bare-root trees in 1–2 ft, 2–3 ft and 3–4 ft sizes, as Buy 1 Get 1 Free, Buy 3 Get 2 Free or 25-tree wholesale bundles
How Fast Does a Pin Oak Tree Grow?
A pin oak tree grows fast for an oak, often about 2 feet per year in full sun and moist soil once the roots settle in. The pin oak growth rate is one of the main reasons homeowners choose pin oak over slower oaks for shade.
A bare-root pin oak builds roots the first season, then top growth picks up. Typical heights for a pin oak in a sunny, moist site:
| Age after planting |
Typical height |
What to expect |
| Year 1 |
planting size (1–4 ft) |
strong new root growth |
| 5 years |
about 10–14 ft |
pyramidal shape forms |
| 10 years |
about 20–25 ft |
useful shade and first fall show |
| 20+ years |
40 ft and taller |
full shade canopy, acorn crops |
Where Should You Plant a Pin Oak?
Plant a pin oak in full sun, with at least 6 hours of direct light a day, in moist, acidic to slightly acidic soil (pH 5.0–6.5). Pin oak grows well in clay and loam and thrives in low, damp spots.
Set a pin oak at least 30 feet from buildings, and space pin oaks about 40 feet apart along a drive or property line. A pin oak makes an excellent lawn shade tree, a classic street and park tree, and a handsome specimen near a pond.
What Does a Pin Oak Leaf Look Like, and How Is Pin Oak Different From Red Oak and White Oak?
A pin oak leaf is glossy, dark green and 3 to 6 inches long, with 5 to 7 bristle-tipped lobes separated by deep, rounded, U-shaped sinuses. Pin oak leaves are more deeply cut than red oak leaves and much more pointed than the rounded lobes of white oak.
A pin oak is not a white oak. Pin oak belongs to the red oak group, along with the red oak tree, so pin oak acorns take two seasons to ripen. The white oak tree has rounded lobes and acorns that ripen in one season. A pin oak also has a signature silhouette: lower branches angle down, middle branches reach out level and upper branches sweep upward.
What Grows Well With a Pin Oak?
Moisture-loving native trees and ferns grow well with a pin oak. A red maple tree and a river birch share the same damp, sunny sites, and a bald cypress adds feathery texture near water. Under the canopy edge, cinnamon fern and Christmas fern fill in with green fronds. For a mixed oak planting, pair pin oak with bur oak. Planting a wildlife area or windbreak by the hundred? Our pin oak seedlings are priced for bulk planting. Browse more choices in our shade trees collection.
How Do You Plant a Bare-Root Pin Oak Tree?
Plant a bare-root pin oak while the tree is dormant, from late fall through early spring, with the root flare level with the soil surface. Water deeply right after planting and weekly through the first summer.
At our Altamont, Tennessee nursery, we dig each pin oak while dormant and pack the roots in moist material so the tree arrives ready to plant.
- Soak the roots in a bucket of water for 2 to 4 hours.
- Dig a hole twice as wide as the root spread and as deep as the roots are long.
- Spread the roots out and set the tree so the root flare sits level with the ground.
- Backfill with the native soil, firming gently, and water slowly until the soil is soaked.
- Spread 2 to 3 inches of mulch in a 3-foot ring, keeping it a few inches off the trunk.
- Slip a mesh tree sleeve or tube around the trunk for the first few years to guard against deer rubbing.
Planting & Growing Information
Botanical Name: Quercus palustris
Plant Family: Fagaceae (beech family), red oak group
Ships: Bare root, 1–2 ft, 2–3 ft and 3–4 ft
Planting Zone: 4–8
Height at Maturity: 50–70 feet
Spread: 25–40 feet
Growth Rate: Fast, about 2 feet per year
Sun or Shade: Full sun, 6+ hours daily
Water Needs: Moderate to high; thrives in moist and seasonally wet soil
Soil: Acidic to slightly acidic loam or clay, pH 5.0–6.5
Bloom Season: April–May (yellow-green catkins)
Fall Color: Russet, bronze and scarlet
Native Range: Eastern and central United States
Care: Water weekly the first summer. Remove low branches in late winter if you want clearance over a walk or drive.
Plant Attributes: Fast-growing shade tree, wet-site tolerant, scarlet fall color, acorns for wildlife
Pin Oak Tree FAQ
How tall does a pin oak tree get?
A pin oak tree grows 50 to 70 feet tall and 25 to 40 feet wide in a home landscape.
Is a pin oak a fast-growing tree?
Yes. A pin oak is one of the fastest-growing oaks, often adding about 2 feet of height per year in full sun and moist soil.
Do deer eat pin oak acorns?
Yes. White-tailed deer, wild turkeys, wood ducks, squirrels and blue jays all eat pin oak acorns, which makes pin oak a favorite tree for wildlife plantings.
When do pin oak acorns drop?
Pin oak acorns ripen and drop from September into November, in the second fall after the flowers bloom.
Does a pin oak keep its leaves in winter?
Many pin oak leaves turn tan and stay on the lower branches through winter, giving the tree winter texture, and then fall in spring as new leaves open.
What zones does a pin oak grow in?
A pin oak grows in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 8.
Grown and Shipped by TN Nursery
TN Nursery has grown hardy native plants since 1959, more than 65 years of experience, and has supplied plants to major U.S. landmarks like the Washington Monument and Arlington National Cemetery. At our Altamont, Tennessee nursery, we grow, dig and ship pin oak trees to yards, farms and parks across the country. Each tree is dug while dormant and packed bare root so the roots settle quickly into new soil. Want to learn more first? Read Planting a Young Pin Oak Tree, Facts About Oak Trees for Wildlife and Habitat and Choosing and Planting Shade Trees on our garden blog, or browse our native trees.
