Scarlet Oak
Quercus coccinea
Vivid crimson-scarlet fall color that holds three to four weeks, reliable every year. A keystone oak feeding jays, woodpeckers, and songbirds.
Typically 1 quart–3 gal · $17–$85 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
The most reliably vivid red fall color of any oak we carry. plant it where the October afternoon light will find it, and it will be the centerpiece of your autumn.
Scarlet oak has one of the finest fall color displays of any oak in eastern North America: deeply lobed leaves turning vivid crimson-scarlet that often holds for three to four weeks in October and November. The color is reliable year to year, not contingent on weather, and the tree glows when backlit in the afternoon. Plant it on the west or northwest side of a property where the fall light will hit it directly. A steady acorn crop feeds blue jays, woodpeckers, and small mammals every fall. Dense branching provides nesting structure for songbirds. Like all oaks, scarlet oak is a keystone species supporting hundreds of caterpillar species and the birds that depend on them. A canopy-scale investment that delivers ecological dividends for generations.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown scarlet oak propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 40–60 ft · 30–40 ft wide
- USDA zones
- 4–9
- Family
- Fagaceae
- Native range
- Eastern United States
Care notes for scarlet oak.
Full sun, well-drained acidic soil. Prefers sandy to loamy soils; tolerates dry conditions. Deep taproot. plant young and leave it. Water during establishment. No pruning needed except dead wood. Extremely long-lived and low maintenance once established.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside scarlet oak.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.