Scarlet Oak

Quercus coccinea is native to eastern and central North America.

• Ranges from southern Maine and southern Ontario westward through New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana to southern Michigan and Illinois
• Extends southward through the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi
• Also occurs in the Ozark Highlands of Missouri and Arkansas
• Most abundant in the Appalachian region and along the Atlantic coastal plain
• Occurs at elevations from near sea level to approximately 1,500 meters in the southern Appalachians
• First described by the French botanist André Michaux in 1801
• Often found on dry, sandy, or rocky upland sites alongside black oak, chestnut oak, and various pines
• The species is broadly sympatric with northern red oak and pin oak, with which it is often confused

Quercus coccinea is a medium to large deciduous tree with an open, rounded crown.

Size:
• Typically 18 to 25 meters tall, occasionally reaching 30 meters
• Trunk diameter: 40 to 90 cm
• Crown is broadly rounded and open, with spreading, ascending branches

Bark:
• Dark brown to grayish-brown, developing broad, flat ridges and shallow furrows
• Less dark and less deeply furrowed than black oak bark
• Inner bark is reddish (not yellow as in black oak)

Leaves:
• Obovate, 8 to 18 cm long and 6 to 13 cm wide
• Deeply lobed with 5 to 7 lobes, each terminating in several bristle-tipped teeth
• Sinuses between lobes are deep and C-shaped, reaching nearly to the midrib — deeper than most other red oaks
• Dark glossy green above, paler and smooth beneath (lacking the rusty hairs of black oak)
• Turn brilliant scarlet to crimson-red in autumn — the best fall color of any North American oak

Acorns:
• Ovoid, 1.5 to 2.5 cm long
• Cup covers one-third to one-half of the acorn, with shiny, tightly appressed scales
• Take two years to mature
• Borne on short stalks, often in pairs

Scarlet oak occupies dry upland habitats and plays an important ecological role in the forests of the eastern United States.

Habitat:
• Prefers dry, well-drained, acidic, sandy or gravelly upland soils
• Common on dry ridges, rocky slopes, and sandy plains
• Drought-tolerant once established
• Shade-intolerant, requiring open canopy conditions for successful regeneration
• Often found in oak-pine and oak-hickory forests, especially on south- and west-facing slopes
• Associates with black oak, chestnut oak, pitch pine, and various hickories

Ecosystem role:
• Acorns consumed by wild turkeys, blue jays, deer, squirrels, and black bears
• The deeply lobed leaves support numerous species of Lepidoptera caterpillars
• Open crown structure allows light penetration, supporting a diverse understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants
• The species' drought tolerance makes it valuable for maintaining forest cover on dry, marginal sites
• Brilliant autumn foliage contributes to the fall tourism economy of the Appalachian and New England regions
• Susceptible to oak wilt, oak leaf blister, and various canker diseases