{"slug":"quercus-buckleyi","scientific_name":"Quercus buckleyi","common_names":["Texas red oak","Spanish oak","Buckley oak","Texas oak"],"family":"Fagaceae","type":"broadleaf_deciduous","mature_height_m":15,"mature_spread_m":12,"growth_rate":"medium","lifespan_years":null,"hardiness_zones":[6,9],"sun":"full","water":"low","soil":"Well-drained limestone, clay or loam; tolerates alkaline rocky soils and shallow Hill Country sites","native_range":"Limestone hills of central Texas north into Oklahoma and southern Kansas","description":"A medium shade tree (usually 30-50 feet, taller on deep soil) with glossy, deeply lobed leaves that turn red in a good fall. It handles rocky, alkaline soils that defeat most red oaks, is often multi-trunked, and is the native red oak of the Austin hills. It is also a key nesting tree for the endangered golden-cheeked warbler.","care":"Plant in fall or winter; water weekly through the first two summers. Site on the north or east side of the house where soil stays cooler, in the limestone soils of west Austin. Like all red oaks it is very susceptible to oak wilt: prune only in deep winter or midsummer, paint wounds at once, and avoid damaging roots. Use trees grown from a western (Central Texas) seed source.","benefits":["shade","fall_color","wildlife","birds","drought_tolerant"],"uses":["yard_shade","street_tree","parks"],"cautions":["pest_prone","heavy_litter"],"image_url":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Quercus_buckleyi_leaves.jpg","image_credit":"georgiakharper, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons","sources":["https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/QUBU2","https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUBU2","https://www.austintexas.gov/watershed-protection/plant-guide/oak-texas-red","https://www.treefolks.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/NeighborWoodsTreeMenu-2026.pdf"],"data_note":null,"updated_at":"2026-11-08T01:00:46.205Z","page_url":"https://treerm.org/trees/quercus-buckleyi","markdown_url":"https://treerm.org/trees/quercus-buckleyi.md","regions":[{"country":"US","region":null,"locality":null,"status":"native","note":"Also native in: KS (USDA PLANTS distribution)","source_url":"https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/QUBU2"},{"country":"US","region":"OK","locality":null,"status":"native","note":null,"source_url":"https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/QUBU2"},{"country":"US","region":"TX","locality":null,"status":"native","note":null,"source_url":"https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/QUBU2"},{"country":"US","region":"CA","locality":"Sacramento","status":"recommended","note":"On the Sacramento Tree Foundation Shady 80 recommended trees list","source_url":"https://sactree.org/best-trees-for-sacramento/"},{"country":"US","region":"CO","locality":"Denver","status":"recommended","note":"On the Denver Office of the City Forester Approved Street Tree List","source_url":"https://www.denvergov.org/content/dam/denvergov/Portals/747/documents/forestry/Street_tree_guide.pdf"},{"country":"US","region":"TX","locality":"Austin","status":"recommended","note":"On the City of Austin Grow Green native and adapted plant list (Watershed Protection). Listed as 'Oak, Texas Red' (Quercus texana in the guide's older naming); notes oak wilt susceptibility and recommends western seed source.","source_url":"https://www.austintexas.gov/watershed-protection/plant-guide/oak-texas-red"},{"country":"US","region":"TX","locality":"Dallas","status":"recommended","note":"On the City of Dallas Article X Approved Tree List","source_url":"https://dallas.gov/departments/sustainabledevelopment/buildinginspection/DCH%20documents/pdf/BI_Approved%20Tree%20List.pdf"}],"license":"CC-BY-4.0"}