Scientific Name
Quercus buckleyi ‘Buckley Oak’
Buckley oak, often called Texas red oak, is a medium-sized tree that has gained popularity here in recent years for its adaptability and outstanding red fall color. Its native range is in Texas and Oklahoma, but it has proven sufficiently cold hardy for the Front Range. Its success here is due in part to Tim Buchanan, the retired City Forester of Fort Collins, who grew many of these trees and donated two young specimens to the Regis Arboretum. One of those Fort Collins trees is currently No. 2 on the Colorado champion list, while a Denver tree is slightly larger; both stand at about 44 feet, which is close to their expected mature height.
Buckley oak is a member of the red oak group native to North and Central America, a group not found in Europe or Asia. It is closely related to Shumard oak, and their ranges overlap in Texas, where hybridization can occur. Buckley oak occupies hotter and drier regions to the west of Shumard oak’s range, giving it an advantage in drought-prone climates like ours. It also performs well in the alkaline soils common in this area and may even prefer them over more acidic conditions. The leaves are deeply lobed, with bristle tips, and are generally somewhat smaller than those of Shumard oak.