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Native Plant Society of Texas

Southern Red Oak

Quercus falcata

Other common name(s):

Bottomland Red Oak, Three-lobed Red Oak, Spanish Oak

Family:

Fagaceae (Beech Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Leaflet Tiles © Esri — Esri, DeLorme, NAVTEQ, TomTom, Intermap, iPC, USGS, FAO, NPS, NRCAN, GeoBase, Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), and the GIS User Community
Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Tree

Height

70
to
80
ft.

Spread

40
to
50
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Loam, Dry

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Yellow

Bloom Season

Spring

Seasonal Interest

Fall Color, Nuts, Pollen, Larval Host

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies, Birds, Small Mammals, Deer

Maintenance

Moderate growth rate. Easy to transplant when small. Long-lived shade tree that requires little maintenance. Older trees subject to insect and disease problems. It is in the red oak group and therefore more susceptible to oak wilt. Prune only during the hottest and coldest months. Paint pruning wounds to help prevent oak wilt. Propagation: seed.

Comments

Medium-sized, straight-trunked tree. Its smooth gray bark eventually becomes black. The deeply lobed leaves turn reddish-brown in the fall. The upper surface is glossy green and the lower surface is covered with gray or tawny pubescence. Tiny flowers clustered on catkins. The fruit is an acorn that develops in two years. Larval host: Banded Hairstreak, White M Hairstreak.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Quercus falcata var. triloba, Quercus triloba

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 48. 3) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUFA. 4) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Quercus+falcata&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 5) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=12078&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 6) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=19277#null
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