Quercus falcata
Southern Red Oak

Family:

Fagaceae (Beech Family) 45

Genus:

Quercus (Oak) 32

Plant Type:

Tree 557

Growth Forms:

Upright 537

Hardiness:

USDA Zone 6 33

Deciduous / Evergreen:

Deciduous 794

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

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.

Special Characteristics:

Additional Information

Generally only hardy up to zone 6, this oak is native to southeastern regions of the United States, 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 severely affect this species, and can lead to decline or death.