Quercus falcataIndiana Native
Southern Red Oak
Other Common Names: Spanish Oak

Family:

Fagaceae (Beech Family) 46

Genus:

Quercus (Oak) 33

Plant Type:

Tree 583

Growth Forms:

Upright 578

Hardiness:

USDA Zone 6 39

Deciduous / Evergreen:

Deciduous 846

Flower Notes:

Brown (Catkins in spring; not ornamentally important)

Foliage Notes:

Green (Very lustrous, rich green in the summer); Brown (Fall; not ornamentally important)

Fruit Notes:

Brown (0.5" long, shallow-capped acorns in the fall; borne singly or in pairs)

Ultimate Height:

60-80 feet

Ultimate Spread:

40-50 feet

Fruiting Times:

Light Requirements:

Soil Notes:

Prefers acidic, well-drained loams, but tolerates sand and poor soils, and even short-term flooding

Range:

Southeastern United States

Diagnostic Characteristics:

Leaves are 5-9" long, 4-5" wide, alternate, and simple. The leaves have sickle-shaped sinuses and bristle-tipped lobes, usually concentrated near the apex, with the number per leaf varying from 3-7 on the same tree. The red-brown imbricate buds are 0.25" long, ovoid, and have a fine pubescence that is most dense near the apex. Shallowly capped, 0.5" acorns, emerging in the fall, have alternating vertical lines of light and dark brown coloration that is not always distinctive.

Purdue Plant Doctor

Parts and Problems of Oak

Special Characteristics:

Additional Information

Generally hardy only to zone 6, this oak is native to the southeastern United States, including the southern tip of Indiana, but can sometimes be grown in colder climates. This tree gained its specific epithet name, "falcata", from the sickle-like weapon of the same name, in reference to the sickle-shaped lobes of the leaves. Root disturbance is known to affect this species severely and can lead to decline or death.

Plant Photo Gallery

Overall Habit

Bark

Leaf

Bark

Buds

Buds and Dried Foliage

Winter Habit

When Quercus falcata has been observed flowering or fruiting at Purdue University

Flowering

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Fruiting

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1 Quercus falcata found

Building Map...

= Heritage plant = Memorial plant

Number	Accession ID	Location
1	ORIG_8584*A	LILY

Other plants like this Quercus falcata (Southern Red Oak)

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