Arkansas Tree Database

Scarlet Oak

Scarlet Oak

Scientific name:

Quercus Coccinea

Size:

50'-70' tall by 40'-50' wide

Leaves:

alternate, simple, 3"-7" long, with 7 deep lobes, with each lobe ending in several bristle-tipped teeth

Flowers:

inconspicuous

Fruit:

acorn 1/3 to 1/2 enclosed by cup, ripening in autumn of the second year

Fall Interest:

scarlet, beginning to turn on only one or two branches, some persisting until January; deciduous

Culture:

sun to partial sun; well-drained, acidic soil; relatively fast-growing

Disease/Insect:

Use:

shade tree for large area; common in lumber trade

Cultivars:

Notes:

bark has shallow grooves and irregular ridges, becoming scaly with age; dead branches sometimes persist on lower trunk; native to Arkansas

Resources:

Click thumbnail to enlarge images

Scarlet oak bark on trunk Scarlet oak bark on trunk Scarlet oak bark on trunk Scarlet oak bark on trunk Scarlet oak acorn cups Scarlet oak twigs with buds Scarlet oak leaf, showing lustrous green upper side, deep lobes, and bristles on the tips Scarlet oak leaf, showing smooth underside and deep lobes with bristles on the tips Scarlet oak leaves, upper sides Scarlet oak leaf, showing smooth underside with hairs at vein axil Scarlet oak acorn on twig Scarlet oak acorns Scarlet oak acorn Scarlet oak tree, showing branching habit Scarlet oak tree, fall