Southern red oak (Quercus falcata var. falcata), also called Spanish oak, water oak, or red oak, is one of the more common upland southern oaks. This medium-size tree is moderately fast growing on dry, sandy, or clay loams in mixed forests. It is also often found growing as a street or lawn tree. The hard strong wood is coarse grained and used for general construction, furniture, and fuel. Wildlife depend upon the acorns as food.

Habitat

Native Range

Southern red oak extends from Long Island, NY, southward in New Jersey to northern Florida, west across the Gulf States to the valley of the Brazos River in Texas; north in eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, southern Missouri, southern Illinois and Ohio, and western West Virginia. It is comparatively rare in the North Atlantic States where it grows only near the coast. In the South Atlantic States its primary habitat is the Piedmont; it is less frequent in the Coastal Plain and is rare in the bottom lands of the Mississippi Delta (8).

Range of Southern Red Oak

Climate

Southern red oak grows where the climate is humid and temperate, characterized by hot summers, mild and short winters, and no distinct dry season. Average annual precipitation is between 1020 and 1270 turn (40 and 50 in), half of which occurs during the April to September growing season., Throughout the major part of its range, the average annual temperature is between 16° and 21° C (60° and 70° F), with daily extremes near -18° C (0° F) to about 38° C (100° F). At the northern extreme of its range the average annual temperature is between 10° and 15° C (50° and 60° F), with extremes of -23° to 38° C (-10° to 100° F).

Soils and Topography

Southern red oak is characteristically an upland tree, growing on dry, sandy, clay soils (1). It is also found widely on sandy loam, sandy clay loam, and silty clay loam soils. Occasionally it grows along streams in fertile bottoms and here reaches its largest size. Overall, southern red oak is most commonly found growing on soils in the orders Utilsols and Alfisols

Throughout its range, southern red oak is most frequently found at elevations up to 610 m (12,000 It) above sea level in both the Coastal Plain and Piedmont regions (16). It usually grows on dry ridgetops and upper slopes facing south and west, rather than on moist lower slopes and bottom lands, or north and east aspects (16).

Associated Forest Cover

Southern red oak- Is found in nine forest cover types (5). It is a major component of Virginia Pine-Oak (Society of American Foresters Type 78) and Shortleaf Pine-Oak (Type 76). It is a minor component of Virginia Pine (Type 79), Loblolly Pine-Shortleaf Pine (Type 80), Loblolly Pine (Type 81 1), and Loblolly Pine-Hardwood (Type 82). Occasionally it is found with Longleaf Pine (Type 70), Swamp Chestnut Oak-Cherrybark Oak (Type 91), and Post Oak-Blackjack Oak (Type 40).

Throughout most of its range, southern red oak is usually found as individual trees in mixed stands. It is commonly associated with white oak Quercus alba), black oak (Q. velutina), scarlet oak (Q. coccinea), post oak (Q. stellata), blackjack oak (Q. marilandica) sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica), and hickory (Carya spp.). Along the foothills of the Appalachians, Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana), pitch pine (P. rigida), and chestnut oak (Quercus prinus) are common associates. Other associates are shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) in the Piedmont, loblolly pine (P. taeda) in the Coastal Plain, and both shortleaf and loblolly pine in eastern Texas, southern Arkansas, and Louisiana.

Occasionally associated with southern red oak are swamp chestnut oak (Quercus michauxii), cherrybark oak (Q. falcata var. pagodifolia), white ash (Fraxinus americana), slash pine (Pinus elliottii), longleaf pine (P. palustris), yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), American beech (Fagus grandifolia), red maple (Acer rubrum), flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), and persimmon (Diospyros virginiana).

Life History

Reproduction and Early Growth

Flowering and Fruiting

Southern red oak is monoecious; unisexual flowers of both sexes are borne on the same tree. Flowering occurs during April and May throughout most of the range. The staminate flowers are borne in naked aments (catkins) and the pistillate flowers solitary, or in two- to many-flowered spikes.

The fruit is solitary or paired; the nut is enclosed one-third or less in a thin, shallow cup. The fruit ripens in September and October, the second season after flowering, and seedfall occurs during these months.

Seed Production and Dissemination

Seed production usually begins when a tree is about 25 years of age, but maximum production is usually between the ages of 50 and 75 years. Cleaned seeds average 1,190/kg (540/lb). Fall seeding of oaks is preferred to spring seeding in the nursery (17). To obtain the highest first-year survival, it is recommended the acorns be planted not less than 1/2 inch deep and at seedbed densities of 12 to 15 evenly spaced sound seed per square foot (13). Fall beds should be mulched with leaves or straw held in place by hardware cloth covers or other effective materials. The covering also serves as a protection against rodents. It is usually not necessary to produce seedlings older than 1-0 for field planting, but 2-0 seedlings are planted occasionally to obtain larger, vigorous stock with more extensive root systems.

In natural stands, dissemination of acorns by gravity is important on steep slopes. The hoarding habit of squirrels is also important in the dispersal of seed of oaks.

Seedling Development

The seed of southern red oak germinate under natural conditions in the spring following seedfall. Cool, moist stratification is required for best results. Germination is hypogeal (17).

Vegetative Reproduction

Southern red oak sprouts vigorously from the stump when the top has been killed or cut back (6,16). Sprouting is most prevalent on young stems 25.4 cm (10 in) or less in diameter. With well established root systems, growth of sprout-origin stands is rapid, regardless of site quality, for about 20 years (18). Equations have been developed using sprout height at age 5 which predict the diameter growth and competition success of coppice-regeneration at ages 12 and 30 (11). Clones of southern red oak can be propagated from cuttings of rooted stump sprouts and mature branches (4). Cuttings from branches root better than cuttings from stump sprouts. Root initiation is increased when cuttings are treated with the growth hormone IBA and the fungicide folpet, and when cuttings 6.4 mm (0.25 in) or larger are taken from the first flush after it hardens off and just before second flush bud break. Survival after rooting is also increased when larger cuttings are used.

Sapling and Pole Stages to Maturity

Growth and Yield

At maturity, southern red oak is a medium-size tree, usually from 20 to 25 m (70 to 80 ft) in height and 60 to 90 cm (24 to 36 in) in d.b.h. In forest stands it develops a long, straight trunk and upward-reaching limbs that form a high, rounded crown (16). Natural pruning is excellent in well-stocked stands (19). Maximum age attained is about 150 years.

Equations are available for predicting green weights, dry weights, and green volume of sapling, pole-size and sawtimber southern red oak trees, using d.b.h. and total height classes (3,12). Seventy percent of the average tree's green weight is in stem material to a 10-cm (4-in) top, and 30 percent is in crown material. Total-tree wood has an average specific gravity of 0.604, average moisture content of 74 percent, and average green weight of 1057 kg/cm³ (66 lb/ft³) . The weight of wood and bark averages 1297 kg/cm³ (81 lb/ft³) for the entire above-ground portion of the tree.

Growth and yield data are not available for stands of southern red oak.

Rooting Habit

No information available

Reaction to Competition

Southern red oak is classed as intermediate in shade tolerance (2) or as intolerant (16), when compared with its associates.

Epicormic branching is profuse on southern red oak, especially on recently released crop trees. This reduces the quality of the timber and suggests that good quality occurs only in dense stands.

The shelterwood method is recommended for regeneration (7). Early removal of the overstory following stand establishment eliminates suppression from residual seed trees and prevents degrade from epicormic branching.

Damaging Agents

Southern red oak is susceptible to injury by fire because of its thin bark. As a result of fire scars and other injuries, this species often is subject to heart rots (16). Cankers and rot caused by Polyporus hispidus are common. Other common rot fungi affecting this species include Hydnum erinaceus, Polyporus sulphureus, P. obtusus, and Fomes everhartii.

While southern red oak is highly susceptible to oak wilt caused by Ceratocystis fagacearum, this disease is virtually unknown south of the 35th parallel (9). Several species of Hypoxylon have been found to colonize the trunk sapwood of wilting trees, producing a yellow decay (14). Apparently Ceratocystis fagacearum is unable to compete with the Hypoxylon spp.

Drought has been identified as a cause of southern red oak decline and death along the South Carolina coast (15). Hypoxylon atropunctatum was also partially responsible for these losses.

Leaf blister caused by Taphrina caerulescens and leaf spots caused by Actinopelte dryina or Elsinoe quercus-falcatae can severely mar the foliage of southern red oak (9).

The seedlings are damaged and often killed by the hickory spiral borer, Agrilus arcuatus torquatus, and the oak stem borer, Aneflormorpha subpubescens (16). As in many of the oaks, the acorn is subject to damage by acorn weevils, such as Curculio longidens, C. pardalis, and Conotrachelus posticatus, and the filbertworm, Melissopus latiferreanus.

Southern red oak is readily susceptible to borers and bark scarrers when trees are wounded or growing on poor sites. Wood-boring insects attacking this tree are Agrilus bilineatus, Corthylus columbianus, and Cossula magnifica. The defoliators Anisota senatoria and A. stigma also do considerable damage.

Special Uses

The uses of oak include almost everything that mankind has ever derived from trees-timber, food for man and animals, fuel, watershed protection, shade and beauty, tannin, and extractives (17).

Genetics

Nine hybrids of southern red oak have been recognized (10). They are crosses with Q. ilicifolia, (Q. x caesariensis Moldenke); Q. imbricaria (Q. x anceps Palmer); Q. incana (Q. x subintegra Trel.); Q. laevis (Q. x blufftonensis Trel.); Q. laurifolia (Q. x beaumontiana Sarg.); Q. marilandica; Q. nigra (Q. x garlandensis Palmer); Q. phellos (Q. x ludoviciana Sarg.); Q. velutina (Q. x wildenowiana (Dippel) Zabel, Q. x pinetorum Moldenke).

Literature Cited

   1. Applequist, Martin B. 1941. Stand composition of upland hardwood forests as related to soil type in the Duke Forest. Thesis (M.S.), Duke University School of Forestry, Durham, NC. 58 p.
   2. Baker, Frederick S. 1949. A revised tolerance table. Journal of Forestry 47:179-181.
   3. Clark, Alexander, III, Douglas R. Phillips, and Harry C. Hitchcock, 111. 1980. Predicted weights and volumes of southern red oak trees on the Highland Rim in Tennessee. USDA Forest Service, Research Paper SE-208. Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, Asheville, NC. 23 p.
   4. Duncan, H. J., and F. R. Matthews. 1969. Propagation of southern red oak and water oak by rooted cuttings. USDA Forest Service, Research Note SE-107. Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, Asheville, NC. 3 p.
   5. Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Society of American Foresters, Washington, DC. 148 p.
   6. Ferguson, E. R. 1957. Stem-kill and sprouting following prescribed fires in a pine-hardwood stand in Texas. Journal of Forestry 55(6):426-429.
   7. Fitzgerald, C. H. 1979. Piedmont and Coastal Plain hardwoods. In Silvicultural guidelines for forest owners in Georgia. p. 20-24. Georgia Forestry Commission Research Paper 6. Georgia Forestry Commission, Macon.
   8. Haney, G. P., and L. J. Metz. 1959. Silvical characteristics of southern red oak. USDA Forest Service, Station Paper 106. Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, Asheville, NC. 9 p.
   9. Hepting, George H. 1971. Diseases of forest and shade trees of the United States. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook 386. Washington, DC. 658 p.
  10. Little, Elbert L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees (native and naturalized). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook 541. Washington, DC. 375 p.
  11. Lowell, K. E., R. J. Mitchell, P. S. Johnson, H. E. Garrett, and G. S. Cox. 1987. Predicting growth and "success" of coppice-regenerated oak stems. Forest Science 33(3):740-749.
  12. Phillips, D. R. 1977. Total-tree weights and volumes for understory hardwoods. Tappi 60(6):68-71.
  13. Shipman, R. D. 1962. Nursery seeded hardwoods-influenced by depth and density of sowing. Tree Planters' Notes 54:27-31.
  14. Tainter, F. H. 1972. Natural biological control of oak wilt in Arkansas. (Abstract) Phytopathology 62(7):702.
  15. Tainter, F. H., T. M. Williams, and J. B. Cody. 1983. Drought as a cause of oak decline and death on the South Carolina coast. Plant Disease 67(2):195-197.
  16. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 1965. Silvics of forest trees of the United States. H. A. Fowells, comp. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook 271. Washington, DC. 762 p.
  17. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 1974. Seeds of woody plants in the United States. C. S. Schopmeyer, tech. coord. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook 450. Washington, DC. 883 p.
  18. Zahner, R., and R. K. Myers. 1984. Productivity of young Piedmont oak stands of sprout origin. Southern Journal of Applied Forestry 8(2):102-108.
  19. Zahner, R., R. K. Myers, and C. J. Hutto. 1985. Crop tree quality in young Piedmont oak stands of sprout origin. Southern Journal of Applied Forestry 9(l):15-20.