Red Oak, Large Trees

Quercus rubra: Bareroot Red Oak Trees in Standard Sizes

The Red Oak tree, Quercus rubra, is a magnificent ornamental specimen, growing rapidly on fertile, sunny sites. Mature trees tend to grow into a broad, irregular lollipop shape, with a clear trunk of about 8-10 metres, topped by a wide, rounded canopy. Quercus rubra's blood-red autumn colour is second to none and the pale new leaves are a good counterpoint in spring.
They can reach a height of about 20-28 metres.

Standard trees are the largest size that we deliver; you can also buy younger Red Oak saplings.
Browse our other Oak tree varieties, or all of our trees.

Delivery season: Oak trees are delivered bareroot during late autumn and winter, approximately November-March inclusive.
Choosing a size: Small trees are cheaper, easier to handle and more forgiving of less than ideal aftercare, so they are best for a big planting project. If instant impact is your priority, or if you are only buying a few plants for use in a place where it is convenient to water them well in their first year, then you may as well use bigger ones. All our bareroot trees are measured by their height in centimetres above the ground (the roots aren't measured).

Features:

• Height: 20-28m
• Soil: Any well drained
• Orange-red or scarlet Autumn colour (best on a fertile, sunny site)
• Bareroot delivery only: November-March

Growing Oaks

They thrive best and produce the most wonderful Autumn colour on fertile soil in a sunny location, but in general are not fussy and will grow anywhere with decent drainage and over half a day of sun.
It is hardy, wind-resistant, and suitable for roadside planting in polluted areas. Drought tolerant when well established.

Did You Know?

It is native to the East Coast of North America, up to Nova Scotia, and was introduced to Europe and Britain in the 1720's. It is a good timber tree for quality indoor furniture and structural elements of houses, though it isn't used much for outdoor items because the open grain isn't very water-resistant. It makes good firewood. Pigs and deer will eat the acorns.
This tree's maximum height is not certain: almost all the old Red Oak trees in America were felled by the settlers, leaving only the really gnarled, misshapen trees that weren't useful for timber. One of the biggest specimens in the UK was at Cowdray Park in Sussex, measured at 34 metres tall 1984.

Old botanical Names: Quercus borealis, Quercus digitata.
Other Common Names: Red Oak, Champion Oak, Northern Red Oak

Standard trees are measured by their girth in centimetres 1 metre above ground level: their trunk's waist measurement. Unlike sapling trees and hedge plants, standards aren't measured by their height, which will vary quite a bit both between and within species.
So, a 6/8cm standard tree has a trunk with a circumference of 6-8cm and an 8/10 standard has a trunk 8-10cm around. This measurement makes no difference to the tree's final height.
On average, standard trees are 2-3.5 metres tall when they arrive, but we cannot tell you precisely how tall your trees will be before we deliver them.