Quercus falcata: Uses (Ethnobotany)
Wood is used for general construction, food, furniture, shade and fuel. Native Americans ate the acorns and utilized the southern red oak in a variety of ways to treat illness.
Plant Profile: Quercus falcata
Taxonomy: Quercus falcataNames
Oaks, Southern Red Oak, Swamp Red Oak, Swamp Spanish Oak, Water Oak
Phonetic Spelling:KWER-kus fal-KAY-tuh
Genus:Quercus
Species:falcata
Family:Fagaceae
The Southern Red Oak is a native deciduous tree that thrives throughout North Carolina, reaching elevations of up to 2,000 feet. This tree can grow between 60 and 100 feet tall, with a broad, rounded canopy that typically spans 50 to 60 feet. It naturally occurs in the poor upland mesic soils found in much of the eastern and central United States, though it can also be spotted near streams. For optimal growth, it should be planted in full sun to partial shade, favoring well-drained, acidic soils such as sandy loam, gravelly, or clay loam. While it is drought-resistant, it can also withstand occasional flooding.
Acorns from the Southern Red Oak take two years to mature, which is typical for red oak species. The tree features two distinct types of leaves, characterized by their tan, downy undersides that beautifully contrast with the dark, glossy green tops, especially when swayed by the wind.
This tree is an excellent choice for providing shade in parks and residential areas. Its ability to tolerate drought makes it particularly suitable for urban environments as a street tree. Additionally, the acorns serve as a food source for various birds and mammals, enhancing its value as a wildlife-friendly plant.
In terms of potential issues, the Southern Red Oak may face several challenges, although most pests and diseases are not significant threats, with the exception of oak wilt. Caterpillars can cause defoliation, and in some years, fall cankerworms have posed problems. Implementing tree banding can help mitigate these issues.
Quercus falcata Feature Summary
Tags
#deciduous
#shade tree
#poisonous
#full sun tolerant
#bark
#drought tolerant
#wildlife plant
#partial sun
#native tree
#moths
#green flowers
#tree
#spring flowers
#street tree
#playground
#small mammals
#food source
#cpp
#low flammability
#NC native
#black bears
#wild turkeys
#deer resistant
#acorns
#wood peckers
#crows
#nighttime garden
#children's garden
#fire resistant
#edible fruits
#Braham Arboretum
#larval host plant
#food source fall
#food source spring
#food source herbage
#bird friendly
#food source hard mast fruit
#mammals
#butterfly friendly
#butterfly larvae
#moth larvae
#FACU Piedmont Mountains
#FACU Coastal
#partial shade tolerant
#larval host tree
#pollinator garden
#problem for horses
#audubon
#banded hairstreak butterfly
#gray hairstreak butterfly
#imperial moth
#juvenal’s duskywing butterfly
#edward’s hairstreak butterfly
#white-m hairstreak butterfly
#horace’s duskywing butterfly
Similar Plants
Quercus falcata is often confused with:
Quercus falcata Feature Summary
Attributes
Wood is used for general construction, food, furniture, shade and fuel. Native Americans ate the acorns and utilized the southern red oak in a variety of ways to treat illness.
Central & Eastern U.S.A
New Jersey to Florida west to southern Illinois, southern Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. Found along the southeast from New Jersey to northern Florida and east along the gulf coast states into Texas.
Oak trees support a wide variety of Lepidopteran. You may see Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed. Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus), which have one flight from June-August everywhere but Florida where they emerge April-May. Edward's Hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii), has one flight from May-July in the south and June-July in the north. Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), has three to four flights in the south from February-November and two flights in the north from May-September. White-M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album) has three broods in the north from February-October. Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) has three broods in Texas and the deep south from January-November, and two broods in the north from April-September. Juvenal’s Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis) has one brood from April-June, appearing as early as January in Florida. The acorns are eaten by woodpeckers, blue jays, white-breasted nuthatches, American crows, small mammals, wild turkey, white-tailed deer and black bear.
Moderately resistant to damage by deer.
Woody
Edible fruit
Wildlife Food Source
Shade
Wildlife Nesting
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Larval Host
medium flammability
Fruit
Oval to round acorn with a bowl-shaped cap that is warty with hairs and covers the top 1/3 of the nut. Acorns require two growing seasons to mature. The fruit is borne solitary or in pairs.
Nut
Brown/Copper
Edible
< 1 inch
< 1 inch
Flowers
Flowers appear in spring in male catkins and in female clusters
Gold/Yellow
Green
Insignificant
Catkin
Spring
Leaves
2 types of leaves are present. One has irregularly 3-5 shaped lobes that are bristle tipped with the terminal lobe being longest and a U-shaped base. One is pear-shaped with 3 rounded lobes towards the end. They are 5-9 inches long and 4-5 inches wide. They remain on the tree late into fall with insignificant reddish brown fall color.
Deciduous
Green
Brown/Copper
Simple
Alternate
Elliptical
Ovate
Obovate
Lobed
> 6 inches
Glossy
3-6 inches
Bark
With age, the thin, smooth light gray bark becomes dark gray in color with broad scaly ridges separated by deep, narrow furrows.
Dark Brown
Ridges
Stem
Small branches have smooth medium gray bark while twigs are orange-brown, angular, and short-pubescent.
Brown/Copper
Gray/Silver
Orange
Angular
Hairy (pubescent)
Cluster of terminal buds
Poisonous to Humans
Abdominal pain, constipation then diarrhea (occasionally bloody), depression, frequent urination, discolored urine, jaundice; acorns can obstruct the digestive tract
Gallotannins, quercitrin, and quercitin.
Seeds
Leaves
Whole Plant Traits
Tree
Native Plant
Poisonous
Deciduous
Rounded
Erect
Oval
Medium
Medium
Coarse
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Acid (<6.0)
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasionally Wet
Occasionally Dry
more than 60 feet
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
Butterfly Garden
Pollinator Garden
Children's Garden
Nighttime Garden
Native Garden
Shade Tree
Street Tree
Drought
Deer
Wind
Poor Soil
Recreational Play Area
Lawn
Meadow
Butterflies
Pollinators
Songbirds
Moths
Small Mammals
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Horses
Quercus falcata Image Gallery
Quercus falcata Attributes
Quercus falcata: Country Or Region Of Origin
Central & Eastern U.S.A
Quercus falcata: Distribution
New Jersey to Florida west to southern Illinois, southern Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. Found along the southeast from New Jersey to northern Florida and east along the gulf coast states into Texas.
Quercus falcata: Wildlife Value
Oak trees support a wide variety of Lepidopteran. You may see Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed. Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus), which have one flight from June-August everywhere but Florida where they emerge April-May. Edward's Hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii), has one flight from May-July in the south and June-July in the north. Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), has three to four flights in the south from February-November and two flights in the north from May-September. White-M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album) has three broods in the north from February-October. Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) has three broods in Texas and the deep south from January-November, and two broods in the north from April-September. Juvenal’s Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis) has one brood from April-June, appearing as early as January in Florida. The acorns are eaten by woodpeckers, blue jays, white-breasted nuthatches, American crows, small mammals, wild turkey, white-tailed deer and black bear.
Quercus falcata: Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems)
Moderately resistant to damage by deer.
Quercus falcata: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Quercus falcata: Recommended Propagation Strategy
Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting
Quercus falcata: Play Value
Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer
Quercus falcata: Fire Risk Rating
extreme flammability
high flammability
low flammability
medium flammability
Quercus falcata Fruit
Quercus falcata: Fruit Description
Oval to round acorn with a bowl-shaped cap that is warty with hairs and covers the top 1/3 of the nut. Acorns require two growing seasons to mature. The fruit is borne solitary or in pairs.
Quercus falcata: Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Quercus falcata: Fruit Color
Brown/Copper
Quercus falcata: Fruit Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Quercus falcata: Display/Harvest Time
Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter
Quercus falcata: Fruit Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Quercus falcata: Fruit Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Quercus falcata Flowers
Quercus falcata: Flower Description
Flowers appear in spring in male catkins and in female clusters
Quercus falcata: Flower Color
Gold/Yellow
Green
Quercus falcata: Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Quercus falcata: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Quercus falcata Leaves
Quercus falcata: Leaf Description
2 types of leaves are present. One has irregularly 3-5 shaped lobes that are bristle tipped with the terminal lobe being longest and a U-shaped base. One is pear-shaped with 3 rounded lobes towards the end. They are 5-9 inches long and 4-5 inches wide. They remain on the tree late into fall with insignificant reddish brown fall color.
Quercus falcata: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Quercus falcata: Leaf Color
Green
Quercus falcata: Deciduous Leaf Fall Color
Brown/Copper
Quercus falcata: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Quercus falcata: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Quercus falcata: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Quercus falcata: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Quercus falcata: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Quercus falcata: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Quercus falcata: Leaf Feel
Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy
Quercus falcata: Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Quercus falcata Bark
Quercus falcata: Bark Description
With age, the thin, smooth light gray bark becomes dark gray in color with broad scaly ridges separated by deep, narrow furrows.
Quercus falcata: Bark Color
Dark Brown
Quercus falcata: Surface/Attachment
Bumpy
Exfoliating
Fissured
Furrowed
Lenticels
Papery
Patchy
Peeling
Ridges
Scaly
Shaggy
Shiny
Shredding
Smooth
Spongy
Quercus falcata Stem
Quercus falcata: Stem Description
Small branches have smooth medium gray bark while twigs are orange-brown, angular, and short-pubescent.
Quercus falcata: Stem Color
Brown/Copper
Gray/Silver
Orange
Quercus falcata: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Quercus falcata: Stem Cross Section
Angular
Oval
Round
Square
Quercus falcata: Stem Surface
Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)
Quercus falcata: Stem Bud Terminal
Cluster of terminal buds
Only 1 terminal bud, larger than side buds
Only 1 terminal bud, smaller than side buds
Quercus falcata Poisonous to Humans
Quercus falcata: Poison Symptoms
Abdominal pain, constipation then diarrhea (occasionally bloody), depression, frequent urination, discolored urine, jaundice; acorns can obstruct the digestive tract
Quercus falcata: Poison Toxic Principle
Gallotannins, quercitrin, and quercitin.
Quercus falcata: Poison Severity
High
Low
Medium
Quercus falcata: Causes Contact Dermatitis
No
Yes
Quercus falcata: Poison Part
Bark
Flowers
Fruits
Leaves
Roots
Sap/Juice
Seeds
Stems
Quercus falcata Whole Plant Traits
Quercus falcata: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Quercus falcata: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Quercus falcata: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Quercus falcata: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Quercus falcata: Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Quercus falcata: Texture
Fine
Medium
Coarse
Quercus falcata Cultural Conditions
Quercus falcata: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Quercus falcata: Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Quercus falcata: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Quercus falcata: Available Space To Plant
12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet
Quercus falcata: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Quercus falcata: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
Quercus falcata: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Quercus falcata Landscape
Quercus falcata: Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Quercus falcata: Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Quercus falcata: Resistance To Challenges
Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind
Quercus falcata: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
Quercus falcata: Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
Quercus falcata: Problems
Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy
