Southern Red Oak Quercus falcata Michaux    Synonyms: Quercus digitata, Spanish Oak.
Kingdom Plantae   >   Division Tracheophyta   >   Class Magnoliopsida   >   Order Fagales   >   Family Fagaceae   >   Genus Quercus   

Status:

Common in moist to dry woods, especially on the Coastal Plain, less common in the Piedmont, and not present in the mountains. Despite its alternate common name of "Spanish Oak," Southern Red Oak is a tree native to the southeastern United States.

Description:

A medium to tall tree. Leaves are variable but many are readily identifiable by their three, sharp, main lobes, the central one commonly quite long, narrow, and often curved (accounting for the species epithet "falcata," or sickle-shaped). Upper leaf surfaces are dark green and smooth, undersides finely hairy. Bark is dark and smooth on small and medium-sized branches, darker and shallowly fissured on large trunks. Acorns are small, with saucer-shaped cups that are tapered or funnel shaped at the base.

Relationships:

Has been recorded as a host plant for Banded Hairstreak.

Host plant to many moth species including the Buck Moth (Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants).

There are 454 records in the project database.

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The bark of Southern Red Oak in Caroline Co., Maryland (3/20/2013). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

Southern Red Oak in Wicomico Co., Maryland (7/5/2015). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

Southern Red Oak in Howard Co., Maryland (4/15/2010). Photo by Bill Harms. (MBP list)

Southern Red Oak growing in Caroline Co., Maryland (4/26/2016). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)

Southern Red Oak growing in Howard Co., Maryland (6/8/2016). Photo by Jim Wilkinson. (MBP list)

Southern Red Oak leaves at Patuxent Research Refuge, Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (7/15/2012). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Southern Red Oak on Assateague Island, Maryland (11/10/2012). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

The whitish buds of Southern Red Oak in Caroline Co., Maryland (3/20/2013). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

The acorns of a Southern Red Oak in Somerset Co., Maryland (9/15/2013). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

Southern Red Oak in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (8/19/2010). Photo by Bill Harms. (MBP list)

Southern Red Oak in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (7/31/2010). Photo by Bill Harms. (MBP list)

Southern Red Oak Leaf in Charles Co., Maryland (9/25/2016). Photo by Kirsten Johnson. (MBP list)

Southern Red Oak in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (12/27/2018). Photo by Matt Grey. (MBP list)

Fallen Southern Red Oak leaves on Assateague Island, Worcester Co., Maryland (2/20/2016). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Young Southern Red Oak with galls in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (5/26/2017). Photo by Richard Orr. (MBP list)

Southern Red Oak growing in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (5/5/2018). Photo by Robert Ferraro. (MBP list)

A Southern Red Oak acorn in Prince George's Co., Maryland (9/30/2013). Photo by Sam Droege. (MBP list)

Southern Red Oak in Baltimore City, Maryland (6/8/2019). (c) Charlie Davis, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Charlie Davis. (MBP list)

Southern Red Oak in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (6/21/2016). (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Katja Schulz via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Southern Red Oak in Dorchester Co., Maryland (5/4/2019). (c) Ashley M Bradford, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Ashley Bradford. (MBP list)

Southern Red Oak in Wicomico Co., Maryland (5/4/2019). (c) Ashley M Bradford, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Ashley Bradford. (MBP list)

Southern Red Oak in Montgomery Co., Maryland (6/21/2019). (c) mecarr, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by mecarr via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Southern Red Oak in Caroline Co., Maryland (4/26/2016). (c) Wayne Longbottom, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)


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