Trees Planet: Quercus coccinea

General Information

Common Name	Scarlet Oak
Scientific Name	Quercus coccinea
Sun Tolerance	Full Sun
Height	27-45 m (90-150 ft)
Spread	10 -15 m (40 - 50 ft)
Growth Rate	Fast
Bloom Time	Late Spring
Color	Green, Red
Flower Color	Green
Type	Tree
Native	United States, Europe

Classification

Kingdom	Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision	Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division	Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class	Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass	Hamamelididae
Order	Fagales
Family	Fagaceae – Beech family
Genus	Quercus L. – Oak
Species	Q. coccinea

Quercus coccinea - Scarlet Oak

Quercus coccinea common name is the Scarlet Oak. The scarlet oak can be mistaken for the Pin Oak, the Black Oak, or occasionally the Red Oak. It is mainly native to the United States.

Q. coccinea is a medium-large deciduous oak tree growing to 27–45 m (90 – 150 ft) tall with an open, rounded crown. The leaves are glossy green, 7–17 cm long and 8–13 cm broad. They are arranged alternately and lobed. There are seven lobes in every leaf and deep sinuses between the lobes. Each lobe has 3-7 bristle-tipped teeth. It blooms in spring and the flowers color is greenish-yellow. Individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant.

The acorns are ovoid, 7–13 mm broad and 17–31 mm long, a third to a half covered in a deep cup, green maturing pale brown about 18 months after pollination; the seed is very bitter. Scarlet oak is often planted as an ornamental tree. It is popular for its bright red fall color. The wood is generally marketed as red oak, but is of inferior quality, being somewhat weaker and not forming as large a tree.