Scientific name: Quercus coccinea
Common name: scarlet oak
Native: Yes
Native range: Native to the southeastern United States and parts of New England [1,2,3].
Distribution in North America: Click to view the USDA Plants Database page for Q. coccinea.
USDA Zones: 5-8 [1]
Maximum age: Though typically considered to be short-lived for an oak species (living 80 years on average) [4], some specimens have been estimated to be between 100-200 years of age [5].
Ecology: Like all native oaks, the scarlet oak supports a wide variety of native insects, including the walking stick, Diapheromera femorata, and a variety of native moths, including the io moth (Automeris io) [2,3,4,7]. The acorns are an important source of food for many wildlife species, including deer, small mammals, and large birds such as turkeys and ducks [4].
Ethnobotany: It is mainly valued for its use as an ornamental thanks to its vibrant fall foliage [3]. Indigenous Americans use the acorns for food, in the same way as other oak species [6].
[1] https://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/database/documents/
pdf/tree_fact_sheets/quecoca.pdf
[2] https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/
ag_654/volume_2/quercus/coccinea.htm
[3] https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
[4] https://tinyurl.com/2p96wc5j
[5] https://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/olds/
detail.cfm?genus=Quercus&species=coccinea
