# Northern red oak (Quercus rubra)

> A large, fast-growing oak with a rounded crown about as wide as tall and gray bark that develops shiny flat ridges like ski tracks. Bristle-tipped leaves turn russet to bright red in fall, and acorns take two years to mature. It transplants easily and tolerates road salt, pollution and drought, so it is one of the most planted street and park oaks in the North.

Source: https://treerm.org/trees/quercus-rubra · Updated 2026-11-08 · License CC BY 4.0

## Facts

- Also called: Red oak
- Family: Fagaceae
- Type: Broadleaf, loses its leaves in winter
- Mature height: 22 m; spread 20 m
- Growth: Fast growing; lives about 300 years
- USDA hardiness zones: 4 to 8
- Light: Full sun
- Water: Moderate water
- Soil: Acidic, fertile, well-drained sandy loam preferred; tolerates clay and dry sites, may yellow on alkaline soil
- Native range: Eastern and central United States and southeastern Canada, from Nova Scotia and the Great Lakes south to Georgia and Louisiana and west to Minnesota, Nebraska and Oklahoma.

**Benefits:** Shade, Fast canopy, Fall color, Wildlife, Pollinators, Birds, Edible, Drought tolerant, Salt tolerant, Long lived

**Good for:** Street tree, Yard shade, parks, Timber

**Watch out for:** Messy fruit, Toxic parts, Pest prone, Invasive elsewhere

## Care

Plant in full sun in acidic, well-drained soil; chlorosis shows up on high-pH soils. Water through establishment, then it is drought tolerant. Prune only when dormant to avoid oak wilt; also watch for spongy moth, red oak borer and two-lined chestnut borer on stressed trees.

## Where it stands

- **Native:** Canada (Native to Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.); United States (Native across the eastern and central US (more than 15 states).)
- **Recommended:** Toronto, ON, Canada (On Toronto's list of species planted on streets (native to Ontario).); Sacramento, CA, United States (On the Sacramento Tree Foundation Shady 80 recommended trees list); San Jose, CA, United States (On the Our City Forest Community Nursery tree species list); Washington, DC, United States (On the Casey Trees Tree Rebate eligible species list); Atlanta, GA, United States (On the Trees Atlanta Top 50 Atlanta Trees list); Boston, MA, United States (On the City of Boston Urban Forestry Division recommended public street trees list); New York, NY, United States (On the NYC Parks Street Tree Planting Approved Species List); Portland, OR, United States (On Portland's approved street tree list for planting strips 8.5 ft and wider without high-voltage lines.); Seattle, WA, United States (Offered as a street tree (8 ft+ planting strip) in Seattle's Trees for Neighborhoods 2026 program.)

## Sources

- https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/quercus-rubra/
- https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/northern-red-oak/
- https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/QURU
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_rubra