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Red Oak

A deciduous large tree with dense rounded crown of spreading branches Native to Southeastern Canada, south to Georgia, west to Mississippi.

Scientific Name:

Quercus rubra

Mature Height:

40 - 70'

Mature Spread:

40 - 60'

Leaves:

Shallowly lobed dull green, turning to dark red, ruddy brown or orange in fall.

Flowers:

Catkins.

Fruit:

Bears 5/8 -1 1/8" long, at 3 - 5 year intervals.

Root System:

No large surface roots.

Growth Rate:

Fast.

Cultural Notes:

Adaptable to many soils.

Sacramento Specimen:

SMUD grounds NE of old customer service building and SW of same bldg.

Grounds of state capitol near 12th & L Streets

East Lawn Memorial Park, 43rd & Folsom Blvd.

524 Messina Drive, large specimen in back yard, easily seen from street.

Minimum Planting Distances

• from SMUD pad mounted equipment (such as a transformer mounted on a concrete pad): 8 feet
• from a building foundation: 15 feet
• from walks and driveways: 8 feet
• from an air conditioner: 8 feet
• from a fence: 6 feet
• from a utility offset (such as an underground line, pipe or cable): 6 feet
• from a utility overhead (such as an overhead power line): 30 feet
• from a swimming pool: 15 feet
• from a septic system: 15 feet
• between trees*: 25 feet

* To calculate the planting distance between different size trees, add the distances between each species in the column and divide answer in half. Example: the distance between a Red Maple (large tree) and Amur Maple (small tree) is calculated: 25 feet + 15 feet = 40 feet ÷ 2 = 20 feet. The distance between these two different size trees should be 20 feet.