PlantsNuts & Mast

Northern Red Oak

Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
Cossey25 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Northern Red Oak in flower
In flower · (c) Sandy Wolkenberg, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY

Quercus rubra

Chicago-region native. Suited to zone 6a.

Fast-growing large shade oak

EasyNuts & MastAlso Trees
Light
Full sun
Moisture
Dry–medium
Mature size
50–80+ ft
Spacing
35–60 ft
Bloom or harvest
Acorns Sep–Oct; fall color
How it spreads
Large tree
What to buy
Container or balled-and-burlapped; bare-root in early spring.
When to plant
Early Apr–May after soil thaws and drains; Sep–mid Oct for container/B&B. Bare-root: early spring.

In the design

Confirm overhead and underground clearance before planting; keep large trees north or west of food beds to reduce shade.

Plants that share this spot

More in this group

Reference details
Conservatism value
5
Wetland indicator
FACU