Botanical Name:
Quercus coccinea
Family Name:
Fagaceae / oak and beech
Description:
The scarlet oak is a large tree with a rounded, open crown of glossy foliage, best known for its brilliant autumn color. Scarlet oaks require a lot of space to grow, but make excellent shade trees, preferring sunny areas with well drained, sandy soils.
Size:
50 – 75′
Habitat and Range:
Scarlet oak grows across the Eastern United States and southern Canada. This species is found in a variety of habitats, including poor soils in mixed forests, and on upland ridges.
Attributes:
The scarlet oak has similar foliage to the red oak, with leaves that are deeply lobed with sharply pointed tips. Foliage is a glossy green in summer turning to scarlet in fall.
Wildlife Value:
Scarlet oak acorns are an important food source for many animals, including squirrels, chipmunks, mice, deer, wild turkey, blue jays, and red headed woodpeckers.
Did you Know?
• Oaks produce more than 2000 acorns every year, but only one in 10,000 acorns will manage to develop into oak tree.
• Scarlet Oak falls into the red oak group, and shares many of the same traits as Red Oak (Quercus rubra).
• A full-grown Scarlet Oak Tree could produce enough oxygen in a day for two people.
Benefits to Our Community (based on carbon dioxide sequestered, storm water runoff avoided, and air pollution removed each year):
Over the next 15 years, this tree will give back $165 worth of benefits to our community.
