Scientific Name
Quercus coccinea
Scarlet oak is a member of the red oak group which can be seen by the similarity of its leaf shape to that of the much more common northern red oak, though the leaf gaps of scarlet oak are far deeper. Scarlet oak develops into a beautiful large shade tree when given adequate space. The long-lasting fall foliage color is typically a bright and sometimes spectacular red late in the fall (oaks are usually among the last trees to color), and the leaves may then dry up and remain on the tree through much of the winter. This is a characteristic displayed by many oak species, especially younger trees and on lower branches, and is thought by many to be an adaptation that discourages animals from snacking on the tender buds and twigs of the prior season’s growth. A tree holding its dry leaves into December and beyond in Denver is most likely an oak. However, an exception is that an especially severe first hard freeze may interfere with the normal leaf-shedding mechanism of trees other than oaks, and they too may hold their dry leaves well into winter.
Despite its striking fall color, scarlet oak has not historically been widely planted in Denver because it was perceived as being ill-adapted to soil with any alkalinity. However, it has succeeded in many locations and along with some other lesser-known oaks and are becoming more available in the region’s nursery trade. Now we can see that it’s capable of becoming a large shade tree here, with the largest specimen in the state having grown to a respectable height of 75 feet in Denver. The tree is native to the eastern third of the United States, where its range overlaps with several similar oak species in the red oak group, such as pin oak. When this is the case with native species’ ranges, oaks’ ability to readily hybridize can produce individuals with intermediate characteristics, making it sometimes very difficult to pinpoint their true species.