Shumard Red Oak Tree (Quercus Shumardii) – 3 Gallon Pot

One of the faster growing of North American native oak trees, the Shumard Red Oak can add up to 2 feet or so in height per year reaching 40 to 60 feet tall and 30 to 40 feet wide when all grown up. Young trees have a pyramidal form but the canopy rounds out with age. The large 7 to 9 lobed leaves up to 8 inches long are a lustrous dark green in summer changing to very attractive shades of red to burgundy-red in fall. Insignificant flowers occur in spring in the form of catkins which are followed by oval shaped copper-brown acorns wearing a bowl-shaped cap. Young bark is smooth and light gray becoming furrowed and darker with age. As is with most oak trees, the Shumard Oak has many benefits to wildlife, supporting many species of butterflies, moths, birds and mammals. Highly adaptable to many soil types and moist but well-drained to dry or wet conditions, this long-lived oak is ideal for use as a large shade tree in the sunny landscape or meadow or in groupings or groves for forestation and reclamation projects. Its tolerance to high winds, dry or wet soils and air pollution makes it a good selection for more exposed areas.

The wildlife benefits of the Shumard Red Oak are numerous. It is an excellent source of food for many wildlife species including deer, black bears, turkeys, woodpeckers. squirrels, rabbits, raccoons and many other species of smaller mammals and birds. It also supports a wide variety of Lepidopteran. You may see moths and butterflies such as Imperial Moth, Banded Hairstreak, Edward’s Hairstreak, Gray Hairstreak, White-M Hairstreak, Horace’s Duskywing and Juvenal’s Duskywing.

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