Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea): Brilliant Red Fall Color

Scarlet oak is a medium to large deciduous oak native to eastern North America, celebrated for its intensely scarlet autumn foliage and deeply lobed leaves.

Botanical Profile

Description and Features

This tree grows 50–70 feet tall with an open, rounded crown. Leaves are deeply lobed with bristle tips, glossy green, turning brilliant scarlet in fall. Acorns are small, half-covered by a deep cap. Bark is gray-brown, ridged.

Cultivation and Uses

Scarlet oak prefers full sun and well-drained, acidic soil. It is more drought-tolerant than pin oak and tolerates poorer soils. Excellent specimen for fall color. Less tolerant of urban pollution.

Wildlife

Acorns feed deer, turkeys, squirrels, and birds.