Red Oak Tree: Fast-Growing Native Shade Tree With Brilliant Red Fall Color
The red oak tree (Quercus rubra), also called northern red oak, is a fast-growing native shade tree that reaches 60 to 75 feet tall, with russet-red to bright red fall color. Red oak is hardy in USDA zones 3–8 and grows best in full sun. TN Nursery ships bare-root red oak trees Buy 1 Get 1 Free.
Red oak is a member of the beech family, Fagaceae, and gives its name to the red oak group. The northern red oak tree grows wild from Nova Scotia and southern Ontario south to Georgia and Alabama and west to Minnesota and Oklahoma, including the hardwood coves and slopes of Tennessee. Gardeners also call it eastern red oak, gray oak and champion oak.
-
Botanical name: Quercus rubra, beech family (Fagaceae), red oak group
-
Also called: northern red oak, eastern red oak, gray oak, champion oak
-
Mature size: 60–75 feet tall and 40–60 feet wide
-
Growth rate: fast for an oak, often about 2 feet per year once established
-
Leaves: 5–8 inches long with 7–11 pointed, bristle-tipped lobes
-
Acorns: ¾ to 1 inch, with a flat, saucer-shaped cap, ripening in their second fall
-
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 Red Oak Tree Grow?
A red oak tree grows about 2 feet per year in full sun and deep, well-drained soil once the roots settle in. The red oak growth rate is faster than most oaks, so a red oak gives useful shade in about 10 years.
A bare-root red oak spends the first season building roots, then top growth picks up. Red oak trees commonly live 200 years or more, so one planting shades a home for generations.
What Does a Red Oak Tree Look Like?
A red oak tree has dark green leaves 5 to 8 inches long with 7 to 11 pointed, bristle-tipped lobes, a straight trunk and a rounded crown. Red oak tree bark is dark gray and ridged, with smooth, shiny stripes down the ridges that look like ski tracks.
Red oak tree leaves turn russet to bright red in October and November. The acorns are about 1 inch long and wear a shallow, flat cap like a beret. Red oak acorns take two seasons to ripen and drop from September into November.
Red Oak vs. White Oak: How Can You Tell Them Apart?
A red oak has pointed, bristle-tipped leaf lobes and acorns that ripen in two years, while a white oak has rounded leaf lobes and acorns that ripen in one year. Red oak also grows faster and has darker, striped bark.
| Feature |
Red oak (Quercus rubra) |
White oak (Quercus alba) |
| Leaf lobes |
pointed, bristle-tipped |
rounded, no bristles |
| Acorns ripen |
second fall |
first fall |
| Bark |
dark, ridged with shiny stripes |
light gray, scaly plates |
| Growth rate |
fast, about 2 ft per year |
moderate, about 1 ft per year |
| Fall color |
russet to bright red |
wine red to burgundy |
Both trees make outstanding native shade trees. Plant a white oak tree beside a red oak for a long season of fall color and a steady supply of acorns. A pin oak is another fast red-group oak, with more deeply cut leaves and a love of damp ground.
Where Should You Plant a Red Oak Tree?
Plant a red oak tree in full sun, with at least 6 hours of direct light a day, in deep, well-drained, acidic to slightly acidic soil (pH 4.5–6.5). Red oak grows well in loam and clay loam and handles city conditions well.
Set a red oak at least 30 feet from buildings, and space red oak trees 40 to 50 feet apart to line a drive or form an allée. A red oak makes an excellent lawn shade tree, a classic street tree and a strong windbreak tree.
What Grows Well With a Red Oak Tree?
Native trees, flowering understory trees and ferns grow well with a red oak tree. A sugar maple and a red maple tree add orange and scarlet to the red oak's fall show. At the canopy edge, an eastern redbud and a white dogwood bloom in April, and Christmas fern stays green underneath all year. Planting a woodlot, wildlife area or windbreak by the hundred? Our red oak seedlings are priced for bulk planting. Browse more choices in our shade trees collection.
How Do You Plant a Bare-Root Red Oak Tree?
Plant a bare-root red 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 once a week through the first summer.
At our Altamont, Tennessee nursery, we dig each red oak while dormant and pack the roots in moist material, so the tree arrives leafless, dormant and 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 the mulch a few inches off the trunk.
- Slip a mesh tree sleeve around the trunk for the first few years to guard young bark from deer rubbing.
Planting & Growing Information
Botanical Name: Quercus rubra
Plant Family: Fagaceae (beech family), red oak group
Ships: Bare root, 1–2 ft, 2–3 ft and 3–4 ft
Planting Zone: 3–8
Height at Maturity: 60–75 feet
Spread: 40–60 feet
Growth Rate: Fast, about 2 feet per year
Sun or Shade: Full sun, 6+ hours daily
Water Needs: Moderate; drought tolerant once established
Soil: Deep, well-drained, acidic to slightly acidic loam, pH 4.5–6.5
Bloom Season: April–May (yellow-green catkins)
Fall Color: Russet, scarlet and bright red
Native Range: Eastern and central United States and southeastern Canada
Care: Water weekly the first summer and refresh the mulch ring each spring. Prune in late winter while the tree is dormant.
Plant Attributes: Fast-growing shade tree, brilliant red fall color, acorns for wildlife, long lifespan
Red Oak Tree FAQ
How tall does a red oak tree get?
A red oak tree grows 60 to 75 feet tall and 40 to 60 feet wide.
How long do red oak trees live?
Red oak trees commonly live 200 years or more, which makes the red oak a true legacy shade tree.
Do deer eat red oak acorns?
Yes. White-tailed deer, wild turkeys, squirrels, blue jays and wood ducks eat red oak acorns, and red oak supports hundreds of kinds of native moths and butterflies that feed songbirds.
Is red oak a hardwood?
Yes. Red oak is one of the most important hardwoods in North America, prized for flooring, cabinets and furniture.
What zones do red oak trees grow in?
Red oak trees grow in USDA hardiness zones 3 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 red oak trees to yards, farms and parks across the country. Want to learn more first? Read The Top Reasons You Should Plant a Red Oak, Facts About Oak Trees for Wildlife and Habitat and Choosing and Planting Shade Trees on our garden blog, or browse our native trees.
