Quercus rubra L.

Sponsor

Kindly sponsored by
The Trees and Shrubs Online Oak Consortium

The International Dendrology Society, The Wynkcoombe Arboretum, and several private individuals

Credits

Allen Coombes & Roderick Cameron (2026)

Recommended citation
Coombes, A. & Cameron, R. (2026), 'Quercus rubra' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/quercus/quercus-rubra/). Accessed 2026-04-18.

Family

Fagaceae

Genus

Quercus
Subgen. Quercus, Sect. Lobatae

Common Names

(Northern) Red Oak
Eastern Red Oak
Mountain Red Oak
Gray Oak
Chêne rouge (d'Amérique)
Roble (rojo) americano
Quercia rossa
Amerikaanse eik
Roteiche
Amerikanische Spitzeich

Synonyms

Quercus acerifolia G. Kirchn. (non (E.J.Palmer) Stoynoff & W.J.Hess ex R.J.Jensen)
Quercus ambigua F. Michx. nom. illeg.
Quercus angulizana Raf.
Quercus borealis F. Michx.
Quercus coccinea var. ambigua A. Gray
Quercus maxima (Marshall) Ashe
Quercus michauxii F. Dietr., nom. illeg., non Nutt.
Quercus sada Mast.

Infraspecifics

Other taxa in genus

Glossary

section: (sect.) Subdivision of a genus.
acorn: Fruit of Quercus; a single-seeded nut set in a woody cupule.
asl: Above sea-level.
dbh: Diameter (of trunk) at breast height. Breast height is defined as 4.5 feet (1.37 m) above the ground.
included: (botanical) Contained within another part or organ.
midrib: midveinCentral and principal vein in a leaf.
taxon: (pl. taxa) Group of organisms sharing the same taxonomic rank (family genus species infraspecific variety).
variety: (var.) Taxonomic rank (varietas) grouping variants of a species with relatively minor differentiation in a few characters but occurring as recognisable populations. Often loosely used for rare minor variants more usefully ranked as forms.

References

Credits

Allen Coombes & Roderick Cameron (2026)

A well-grown Quercus rubra 27 m tall at Plas Newydd, Anglesey, UK; May 2016. Image Owen Johnson.

Trees, deciduous, to 30 m, crown narrow or spreading. Bark smooth, greenish-brown on young trees, later grey or dark grey, ridges wide, shiny, separated by shallow fissures, often deeply, narrowly ridged and furrowed, even corrugated, on old trees, inner bark pinkish. Twigs reddish brown, 2–4.5 mm in diameter, glabrous. Terminal buds usually acute, dark reddish brown, ovoid to ellipsoid, 5–7 mm, pointed (not angled), glabrous or with a tuft of reddish hairs at the apex; lateral buds similar, but smaller. Leaves ovate to elliptic or obovate, 12–20 × 6–12 cm, base broadly cuneate to almost truncate, margins with 7–11 lobes and 12–50 awns, lobes oblong, occasionally distally expanded, separated by shallow sinuses, sinuses usually extending less than ½ the distance to midrib, apex acute; lower surface pale green, often glaucous, glabrous except for minute axillary tufts of tomentum, upper surface dull green, glabrous, secondary veins raised on both surfaces; leaves emerge pinkish to dusty red-bronze; turning yellow-brown to russet-red in fall; petiole 2.5–5 cm, glabrous, often red-tinged. Acorns biennial, solitary or paired; cup thick, saucer- to cup-shaped, 5–12 mm high × 20–35 mm wide, covering ¼ or less of the nut, outer surface puberulent, inner surface light brown to red-brown, glabrous or with ring of pubescence around scar, scales less than 4 mm, often with tips conspicuoursly darkened, tips tightly appressed, obtuse; nut ovoid to oblong, 15–30 × 10–21 mm, glabrous. (Jensen 1997; Dirr & Warren 2019; Miller & Lamb 1985).

Distribution Canada New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Québec United States Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode I., South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin

Habitat Mesic slopes and well-drained uplands, occasionally on dry slopes or poorly drained uplands; 0–1800 m.

USDA Hardiness Zone 3-8

RHS Hardiness Rating H7

Conservation status Least concern (LC)

Taxonomic note Though not universally accepted, a form originally described as Quercus borealis by François Michaux and as Q. ambigua by Asa Gray is recognised by some authors as var. borealis (F.Michx.) Farw. or var. ambigua (A.Gray) Fern. It is distinguished by narrower, deeper acorn cups, covering about ⅓ of the acorn (only ¼ or less in var. rubra), deeper sinuses extending about ⅓ or more of the way to the midrib (only about ¼ of the way in var. rubra), lighter coloured bark, and buds that may be rather blunt and slightly hairy. In the US southeast, it replaces var. rubra in the higher elevations of the Appalachians, mostly at 1000 m asl or above (Lance 2004; Weakley & Southeastern Flora Team 2024).

Quercus rubra is the quintessential North American oak. It is the most important member of Section Lobatae, the red oak group, which takes its name from this species. To most it is simply the Red Oak, but more precisely should be called Northern Red Oak, to distinguish it from Q. falcata, known as Southern Red Oak. In the past, it was known in Britain as Champion Oak (Aiton 1789; Loudon 1838), and for Sternberg (2004) it is ‘king of the northern oak species’, due in part to its towering size: it is the largest of the North American oaks in habitat, and also one of the most widely distributed oaks in that continent. In Europe and South America, it is known simply as ‘American Oak’ (chêne d’Amérique, roble americano), despite the deep competition for that title among the hundreds of species found on the continent.

Quercus rubra has a dominant presence in North American forest communities. It occupies most of eastern North America from Nova Scotia to Georgia, except the Coastal Plains, extending through North Carolina to northern Alabama. The western limit of its range runs from eastern Oklahoma north to Lake Superior: it ceases to grow west of the 90th meridian, where annual rainfall falls below 750 mm (Elwes & Henry 1910). It grows on the shoreline in Maine to up to around 1800 m asl in the Southern Appalachians (Dirr & Warren 2019). Together with Q. macrocarpa, it is the hardiest oak for northern climates and has the widest distribution of all oaks in Canada. Though it forms smaller trees in the northernmost limits of its range, it is found from the northwest shore of Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, eastward north of Lake Huron to Chaleur Bay in Quebec.

Quercus rubra was likely introduced to cultivation in the early 18th century. By 1739 it was growing at the Physic Garden in Chelsea, London, and by the following year in the estate of Du Hamel in France (Loudon 1838). 1740 is also the date given for its introduction to Germany by Göhre & Wagenknecht (1955). Sargent (1895) states it was introduced into Bishop Compton’s garden near London before the end of the 17th century, but that is a misinterpretation of Aiton’s account in Hortus Kewensis (1789), where the entry for Q. rubra included Q. coccinea. Aiton’s 1691 date of introduction at the Bishop’s garden refers to the latter, not to Q. rubra. Badoux (1932) is widely quoted to back the claim that it was introduced to Switzerland in 1691, but it is possible this date also refers to Aiton’s record for Q. coccinea. The Hillier Manual (Edwards & Marshall 2019) gives 1724 as the date of introduction, a date also given by Wein (1931). This does not exactly match W.T. Aiton’s 1813 revision of his father’s catalogue, which states that Q. rubra was cultivated in or before 1739 by Philip Miller, as reported by Rand (1739), presumably Loudon’s source (see above).

This species was enthusiastically taken up as a forest tree in Europe in the 18th century. Elwes and Henry (1910) report large areas under cultivation and rapid growth rates in Prussia and Belgium. They praised its autumn colour, in particular, describing it as ‘so beautiful that it should be planted in conspicuous places in all pleasure-grounds and parks’. Sargent claimed in 1895 that it ‘had succeeded in Europe better than any other American Oak, and individuals more than a century old may be seen in England, France, and Germany’. European enthusiasm for this species has endured: Quercus rubra was selected by the German Tree of the Year Association (Der Verein Baum des Jahres) as the Tree of the Year for 2025, a rare accolade for an exotic species (Deutsche Baumpflegtetage 2025). In the USA, it appears to suffer from the prophet-in-its-own-land effect, being considered a worthy landscape tree, but as an ornamental praised in muted tones rather than superlatives: for Dirr (2009), the typically russet-red to bright red autumnal colour is ‘sometimes disappointing and never passing beyond yellow-brown’. Its adaptability, on the other hand, is highly valued. Miller and Lamb (1985) note that it tolerates soils ranging from clay to loamy, and from deep and stone-free to shallow and rocky. Dirr and Warren (2019) add that it displays a modicum of aerial salt tolerance, based on healthy trees in coastal Atlantic habitats. They point to remarkably resilient old specimens along US 1 in the Boston area, which, ‘although bumped, bruised, and growing in minimalist soil, are still impressive and beautiful’. It was selected as the state tree by New Jersey in 1950, and as the official tree in Prince Edward Island in 1987 (or 1905, according to some), in an act perhaps driven by remorse: the oak was highly sought after by furniture makers, who milled the tree to practical extinction on the island; the Royalty Oaks Natural Area in Charlottetown was created in the 1980s as a reserve to protect the majestic trees (Government of Canada 2025; Prince Edward Island 2025).

As regards growing conditions and culture, Northern Red Oak would follow Aristotle’s golden mean, and prefers everything in moderation: soils that are moist but well drained, neutral or slightly acidic, and plenty of light but not necessarily full sun. It is one of the more shade-tolerant North American oaks, and according to Sternberg (2004), ‘can develop well under a broken canopy of older trees’. Other authors concede it has superior tolerance to shade, but note that this only applies to young trees, and seedlings may develop under shade but will not prosper long (Nesom 2001). It is tolerant of urban conditions (including dry and acidic soil and air pollution) and for an oak is relatively easy to transplant, but should be moved with a deep soil ball in early spring.

It has prospered in cultivation in Europe and the UK. For Bean (1914), it was ‘undoubtedly the best grower among the American species introduced to Britain’. It grows vigorously, especially as a young tree, and ranks highly in the beauty pageant of deciduous trees thanks to its boldly cut foliage and autumn colour. So well has it grown in Europe that it is now considered an invasive species in the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Poland, and Lithuania and potentially invasive in Germany, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Belgium and Bulgaria, due to its spontaneous spread following introduction and its negative effect on native biota (Chmura 2020).

Like other oaks in the red oak Section (Lobatae) it is prone to oak wilt (Brezellia fagacearum) in the USA, and to Armillaria root rot. Bacterial leaf scorch (Xylella fastidiosa) can be ‘serious’ (Dirr 2009), and in France it can be affected by cinnamon fungus (Phytophthora cinnamomi), which was first detected in the early 1950s (Marçais, Dupuis & Desprez-Loustau 1996). Other diseases affecting Northern Red Oak recently include canker pathogen (Diplodia corticola), which was found to cause wilt and dieback on Q. rubra in urban tree stands in Maine (Aćimović et al. 2016), and Biscogniauxia canker (formerly Hypoxylon), caused by the opportunistic fungi Biscogniauxia atropunctatum, which, though unable to cause disease in healthy trees, is quick to colonise weakened or dying bark and wood (Missouri Botanical Garden 2024). Quercus rubra is less subject to weather damage than other oaks, according to Sternberg (2004), though le Hardÿ de Beaulieu & Lamant (2010) warn that the stem tends to fork.

Quercus rubra attains a massive size in its native range. The tallest recorded is near Woodbury in Tennessee, soaring to 50.9 m with a trunk 232 cm in diameter in 2025 (Trees Database 2025), and another tree over 50 m tall was recorded in Morgan Co., Tennessee in 2022: 50.3 m × 142 cm dbh (Monumental Trees 2025). The thickest trunk on a Northern Red Oak was measured on a tree in Ashtabula County, Ohio, 272.6 cm across (National Champion Tree Program 2025). In cultivation, the tallest trees are found in Europe. A slender tree in Lourdes, southwest France, measured at 44.1 m × 85 cm dbh in 2025, and similar dimensions were recorded in trees in Bugange Forest in Pyrénées-Atlantiques: 44 m × 85 cm and 42.6 m × 73 cm (Monumental Trees 2025). In the UK, the Champion trees are not as tall, but have achieved a larger girth. The height champion is in Golden Grove, Carmarthenshire, Wales (32.5 m × 135 cm), and the girth champion grows on the back lawn of the Oatlands Park Hotel, Weybridge, Surrey (25 m × 223 cm) (The Tree Register 2025).

It is quite widely cultivated in the temperate zones of the southern hemisphere. Trees over a century old are recorded in Australia (Victoria and Tasmania, National Trusts of Australia 2025). Several specimens are recorded in the New Zealand Tree Register (2026), the tallest exceeding 29 m and the thickest with dbh in excess of 160 cm. The species has been grown successfully as a forest tree in southern Chile, performing particularly well when planted in mixed plantations with Q. robur (Loewe-Muñoz et al. 2025). In Argentina and Uruguay, it has earned the common name of roble americano (American oak), though this continental supremacy probably owes more to nurseries’ marketing and propagation preference rather than to superior ornamental value. It certainly grows well and is valued for its red autumn colour, but Q. palustris is the only other red oak species that has competed with it in cultivation in the region. Fine specimens, planted around 1965, fruit copiously at San Miguel Arboretum, Argentina (pers. obs. RC).

Quercus rubra was first described in 1691 by Plukenet, using the polynomial Quercus Esculi divisura, foliis amplioribus aculeatis (rendered in English by Philip Miller in 1754 as ‘Oak with broad spiny leaves, which are divided like the Esculus’). Though this hardly pins down the taxon, and Plukenet confusingly combines it with the name Quercus alba as used by John Parkinson and by John Banister, the identity of the plant in question is confirmed by his illustration, based on specimens sent by Banister from Carolina. John Lawson mentioned it in 1709, when discussing the timber afforded by the colony of Carolina: ‘We have Red Oak, sometimes, in good Land, very large and lofty’. Catesby described and illustrated it in 1730 as ‘The Red Oak’, citing Plukenet’s name and separating it from Q. alba. The binomial Quercus rubra was published in 1753 by Linnaeus, who included in it a variety β which would later be described as Q. coccinea. The epithet rubra (Latin meaning ‘red’) is likely a translation of the by then widely used common name Red Oak. Though commonly understood to refer to the autumnal colour of the leaf, it more likely describes the colour of the wood, which is slightly pinkish, especially when compared to White Oak (Q. alba). Common names of North American oaks were coined by early colonists, and they usually focus on the colour or use of the wood or bark rather than on a transient aspect of the foliage (e.g. White Oak, Black Oak, Post Oak, Shingle Oak). Blue Oak would be the exception, but it reflects the normal colour of the foliage, not its temporary hue during a brief season. It is worth noting that Q. robur, the quintessential ‘white oak’ (Section Quercus) in Europe, bears an epithet that also means ‘red’ (likewise Latin, derived from the same root as rubra), in reference to the similar reddish quality of the heartwood (Cameron 2021; Wiktionary 2025).

A huge Quercus rubra in Horsham, West Sussex, UK, living up to its common name with a spectacular display of autumn colour in October 2022. Image Aidan Champion.

Quercus rubra (Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania, USA, July 2010). Image John Grimshaw.

A grove planted on Mercer Island, Washington, USA. On 24 September, 2022, after 3 months with virtually no rain, they were starting to drop dry leaves. Image Dirk Giseburt.

A majestic Quercus rubra next to The Cloisters, Fort Tyron Park, New York, USA; 12 September 2021. Image Roderick Cameron.

Autumn colour on a picturesque Quercus rubra at Barnett Hill Hotel, Surrey, UK. October 2020. Image Aidan Champion.

Quercus rubra used as a large-scale avenue tree at Madresfield Court, Worcestershire, UK; April 2017. Image Owen Johnson.

Quercus rubra 29.5 m tall at Madresfield Court, Worcestershire, UK, flowering on 20th April 2017. Image Owen Johnson.

Lower trunk of Quercus rubra at Scott Arboretum, Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania, USA, 31 October 2025. Image John Grimshaw.

Quercus rubra in the canopy (Shawnee State Forest, Ohio, USA, August 2022). Image John Grimshaw.

Quercus rubra bark has smooth, light-colored, parallel ridges often referred to as 'ski tracks,' a reliable diagnostic feature; Forest Park, Queens, New York, USA, 6 September 2021. Image Roderick Cameron.

The sinuses of Quercus rubra leaves usually extend less than halfway to the midrib; Iturraran Botanical Garden, Spain, 8 August 2012. Image Francisco Garin.

The lower surface of Quercus rubra leaves is glabrous except for minute axillary tufts of tomentum; Iturraran Botanical Garden, 30 October 2013. Image Francisco Garin.

A Quercus rubra at Kew, UK, in August 2021, showing relatively deeply cut leaves and red petioles. Grown from seed collected in North Carolina on the Kew Expedition to SE USA (EUSA 3). Image Maricela Rodríguez.

Quercus rubra: Large acorns on EUSA 3 at Kew, UK, in August 2021. Image Maricela Rodríguez.

New growth on Quercus rubra at Iturraran Botanical Garden, Spain; 20 July 2013. Image Francisco Garin.

Foliage of Quercus rubra at Estate Het Leen Eeklo, Belgium (23 October 2024). Image © Jan De Langhe.

Quercus rubra leaves (Estate Het Leen Eeklo, Belgium – 23 October 2024). Image © Jan De Langhe.

Conic terminal buds on Quercus rubra (Estate Het Leen Eeklo, Belgium – 23 October 2024). Image © Jan De Langhe.

Quercus rubra lamina lower surface with tiny hair tufts in part of the vein axils (Estate Het Leen Eeklo, Belgium – 23 October 2024). Image © Jan De Langhe.

'Akatere'

A fastigiate selection raised as a seedling in New Zealand. A tree planted in 1994 at Hackfalls Arboretum was grown from a scion provided by Alan Meyer of Waimate, New Zealand (Hackfalls Arboretum 2020). It appears to be named after the locality of that name in Northlands, North Island. According to a description in a 2015 Leafland Nursery catalogue, it grows in a narrow, columnar shape with red new growth and bronze-red autumn colour (Jablonski 2025; Currie 2015). It is included in a list of recommended species for street planting issued by Tauranga City, New Zealand, particularly for planting along minor roads (Tauranga City 2025). It is apparently commercially available only in New Zealand.

‘Akatere’ is possibly a hybrid with Quercus coccinea (i.e. Q. × benderi) as the leaves are glossy green on both sides, unlike Q. rubra, which has a pale green, often glaucous lower surface, with small tufts of tomentum in the vein axils (pers.obs. AJC).

Quercus rubra 'Akatere' at Hackfalls Arboretum, New Zealand, April 2019. Image Roderick Cameron.

Specimen of Quercus rubra 'Akatere' collected by Allen Coombes in 2004 from the tree at Hackfalls Arboretum, New Zealand; specimen 4184 at the Harold Hillier herbarium.

Aurea Group

Synonyms
Quercus rubra 'Aurea'

The cultivar Quercus rubra ‘Aurea’ is still found in nursery listings and other references. It is difficult to determine, however, whether the plants offered as ‘Aurea’ are all clones of the original selection, since the seedlings can be more or less ‘true’ and have yellow leaves. For that reason, it seems more appropriate to group yellow-leaved cultivars under the name Aurea Group (see below for five cultivars in this Group).

‘Aurea’ was originally introduced in 1880 by nurseryman Th. van der Bom of Oudenbosch, the Netherlands, under the name Quercus americana aurea. Cornelis de Vos describes the new variety in 1881, commenting that the new plant will prove popular ‘at a time when yellow-leaved trees are so fashionable’ (in een tijd waarin de geelbladerige gewassen zoo in den smaak vallen). At the same time, however, he notes that the correct name of this oak should be Quercus rubra foliis aureis (‘Red oak with golden leaves’). De Vos praised the variety’s vigour, in addition to its beautiful yellow foliage (Jablonski 2025).

Whilte Jablonski describes ‘Aurea’ as a striking, large-growing tree that makes a special focal point in a larger park or garden, growing to the size of the species and requiring the corresponding space, The Hillier Manual (Edwards & Marshall 2019), states that the cultivar is a small to medium-sized tree. Bean (1914) wrote it is ‘not so vigorous as the species’, while enthusiastically praising the foliage that in spring is ‘a beautiful clear yellow, giving as bright an effect from a distance as flowers.’ The leaves later turn yellow-green and finally green, according to The Hillier Manual.

It should be noted that the authors quoted are likely describing different clones. The cultivar ‘Aurea’ received the Award of Merit in 1971, but it is unclear whether the plant in question was the original clone.

Quercus rubra Aurea Group, Acc ID 69008, a tree planted in 1969, Herkenrode, Belgium (April 2020). Image Christophe Crock.

The same individual of Quercus rubra Aurea Group, Acc. ID 69008, Herkenrode, Belgium (May 2020). Image Charles Snyers.

Several gardens in the Scottish Highlands have a variant with rather dull yellow leaves, even in early summer, but which grows as vigorously as the type. Blair Drummond Safari Park, Stirling, UK; 10 June 2009. Image Owen Johnson.

On 23 May in the Valley Gardens, Windsor Great Park, UK, when the yellow of Quercus rubra Aurea Group is at its brightest. Image Owen Johnson.

Quercus rubra Aurea Group with young foliage in May 2009 at Chevithorne Barton, Devon, UK. Image © James MacEwen.

The new foliage of Quercus rubra Aurea Group is very sensitive to frost and sharp winds, so a sheltered location is recommended (Kew, UK, May 2008). Image John Grimshaw.

Quercus rubra Aurea Group, Acc ID 69008, young foliage, Herkenrode, Belgium (April 2020). Image Christophe Crock.

Quercus rubra Aurea Group, Acc ID 69008, male flowers, Herkenrode, Belgium (April 2020). Image Christophe Crock.

The same Quercus rubra Aurea Group, Acc. ID 69008, two weeks later, Herkenrode, Belgium (May 2020). Image Charles Snyers.

The rather patchy yellow colour of the leaves of a 26 m specimen of the 'Scottish variant' at Abercairny, Perthshire, UK; 9 June 2009. Image Owen Johnson.

A spontaneous seedling, under Quercus rubra Aurea Group, acc. ID 69008, showing that seedlings retain the yellow colour of the leaves, Herkenrode, Belgium (May 2020). The fact that seedilngs regularly come true is one reason golden-leaved Q. rubra should be treated as a Cultivar Group. Image Charles Snyers.

Foliage of Quercus rubra Aurea Group from Herkenrode and Arboretum Wespelaar, Belgium. September 2010. Image © Jan De Langhe - Ghent UBG.

Aurea Group
'Bolte's Gold'

Leaves yellow, not burning in sun. Second flush leaves bronze-red when young, autumn colour said to be pink or red. Raised by Josef Bolte, Paderborn, Germany, from seed from Dortmund Botanic Garden, the original tree was about 8 × 7 m in 2005 (Coombes & Jablonski 2006).

Bright yellow foliage on Quercus rubra 'Bolte's Gold' at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire, UK in June 2023. Image Allen Coombes.

By late summer the leaves of Quercus rubra 'Bolte's Gold' have become partially green. Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire, UK. September 2021. Image Maricela Rodríguez.

Aurea Group
'Evenley Gold'

Leaves a good yellow colour still in August, turning red in autumn. Originated from seed collected in about 1985 from Quercus rubra Aurea Group at Arboretum Wespelaar, Belgium. The original tree (one of four sister seedlings) is at Evenley Wood Garden, Northamptonshire, UK and was 6 m × 19 cm in 2014 (The Tree Register 2025). Colin Crosbie, then curator at RHS Garden Wisley, together with the late Tim Whiteley, noticed that it was still golden in August and did not burn in full sun. The name ‘Evenley Gold’ was chosen by Tim Whiteley, after his property, Evenley Wood Garden (Jablonski 2013).

Quercus rubra 'Evenley Gold' at Bluebell Arboretum and Nursery, Derbyshire, UK. Image Bluebell Arboretum and Nursery.

Quercus rubra Evenley Gold' turns red in autumn, Bluebell Arboretum and Nursery, UK. Image Bluebell Arboretum and Nursery.

Quercus rubra 'Evenley Gold', from the original tree at Evenley Wood Garden, UK, in June 2011. Image © Jan De Langhe - Ghent UBG.

Quercus rubra 'Evenley Gold', from the original tree at Evenley Wood Garden, UK in June 2011, showing the red petioles. Image © Jan De Langhe - Ghent UBG.

Aurea Group
'Limelight'

A selection with pale yellow new growth and somewhat darker yellow foliage. It is cultivated in the USA. Whether it has been introduced to Europe is unknown. It is probably a named seedling of the Aurea Group (Jablonski 2025).

Aurea Group
'Magic Fire'

Remarkable for its orange-yellow one-year-old shoots, which are particularly noticeable in winter, and its yellow new growth in spring, which turns green during the summer. The autumn foliage is then a rich golden yellow. Jablonski (2025) remarks that the interplay of leaf colour and the yellow winter shoots is interesting, and he recommends it for use in shady garden or park settings.

Expanded new leaves of Quercus rubra 'Magic Fire' (Yorkshire Arboretum, UK, May 2022). Image John Grimshaw.

Golden foliage of Quercus rubra 'Magic Fire' from Arboretum Wespelaar, Belgium, in September 2010. Image © Jan De Langhe - Ghent UBG.

Aurea Group
'Sunshine'

Introduced by the Bömer Nursery in the Netherlands, this is believed to have been selected by Jelena de Belder as a seedling from an old plant of Quercus rubra Aurea Group at Hemelrjk Arboretum, Belgium, that showed improved resistance to sunburn. It is also distinguished by intense red autumn colour, particularly noticeable during the transitional phase in autumn, when both yellow and red leaves are present. It is in cultivation in the UK, listed by the Frank P Matthews nursery (Matthews 2025; Jablonski 2025).

Quercus rubra 'Sunshine' proves slow growing but eye-catching in this south Devon, UK, garden (8 May 2025). Image Julian Sutton.

Quercus rubra 'Sunshine' foliage at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire, UK in June 2023. Image Allen Coombes.

'Boulder'

This Northern Red Oak, originally found in Colorado, USA, appears without further description in the catalogue of the Pavia Nursery, Deerlijk, Belgium, around 2005. The owner, Dirk Benoit, collected it together with Allan Taylor in Boulder, Colorado (Jablonski 2025). The name remains technically unpublished, but since it is available commercially under the name ‘Boulder’, it is listed here.

'Curly Girl'

Small tree, reaching 6 m in height in ten years. The leaves of the spring growth are partially deformed and sickle-shaped, while those of the midsummer growth have a more irregular but species-typical shape. The selection originated in Dirk Benoit’s Pavia Nursery around 2015 (Jablonski 2025).

Foliage of Quercus rubra 'Curly Girl' at the Pavia Nursery, Belgium, showing the distorted leaves. Image Eike Jablonski.

'Cyrille'

Leaves deeply cut, lobes with long bristle tips and a conspicuous pale yellow-green reticulate venation, sometimes distorted. The depth of lobing varies from year to year, as does the intensity of the reticulate venation, which is caused by a virus. It was originally distributed in the 1990s by M.M. Bömer of Zundert, the Netherlands, as Q. ilicifolia × rubra or Q. × fernaldii. It was named after the grandson of Jo and Maarten Bömer (Coombes 2005). According to Jablonski (2025), as a young plant, it has only slightly lobed leaves, which become increasingly lobed as the tree matures. He pinpoints as particularly striking the elongated awn tips, prominent leaf venation and the greenish-blue underside of the leaves, but remarks that it appears to be somewhat less vigorous than the species.

The leaves of Quercus rubra 'Cyrille' can have a conspicuous yellow reticulation, particularly when viewed against the light, as here at Wynkcoombe Arboretum, West Sussex, UK in August 2021. Image Maricela Rodriguez.

Leaves of Quercus rubra 'Cyrille' are often rather distorted with long bristle-tips to the lobes. Wynkcoombe Arboretum, West Sussex, UK. August 2021. Image Maricela Rodriguez.

Foliage on Quercus rubra 'Cyrille' at Arboretum du Passadou, France, in July 2021. Image Jean-Louis Helardot.

Leaves of Quercus rubra 'Cyrille' from the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, UK, in 2010. Image ©Jan De Langhe, Ghent University Botanical Garden.

'Fire Crest'

Under this name, Michel Decalut listed a Northern Red Oak in his 2007 catalogue of trees and shrubs from the Waasland Arboretum, Belgium, but without further description. It has not been possible to find a description of this cultivar, and the name remains technically unpublished. Since many plants from the Waasland Arboretum entered the trade, it cannot be ruled out that Northern Red Oaks of this name are not in cultivation. Without a description, however, it remains enigmatic. The name ‘Fire Crest’ could refer to an exceptional autumn colour. Without a description of the variety, the name remains a nomen nudum (Jablonski 2025).

'Greg's Variegated'

A medium-sized selection said to reach a height of approximately 8 m in fifteen years. The striking variegation across the leaf blades is initially pink-white-green, later mottled white-green. In autumn the foliage turns orange-red. Discovered by Greg Williams, a conifer expert from Vermont, USA. Talon Buchholz, of the Buchholz Nursery, Oregon, named it, and it is already available in Europe (Jablonski 2025).

Foliage of Quercus rubra 'Greg's Variegated' at the Szmit Nursery, Poland. June 2013. Image Bronislaw Szmit.

'Haaren'

A compact, shrubby form with leaves to 18 × 13 cm, petiole red at base. Propagated from a witch’s broom found at 10 m on a tree of Quercus rubra in Haaren, the Netherlands, around 1988. The original plant in the Bömer Nursery, Zundert, the Netherlands, was a compact bush 1.3 m tall in 2005. The crown is densely compact and resembles a beehive in outline. The leaves are slightly smaller than those typical of the species. Alongside the Aurea Group cultivars, ‘Haaren’ is among the most common cultivars of Q. rubra in cultivation (Coombes & Jablonski 2006; Jablonski 2025).

Quercus rubra 'Haaaren' at the Szmit Nursery, Poland, in May 2013, showing its compact habit. Image © Bronisław Szmit, Szmit Nursery.

Foliage of Quercus rubra 'Haaren' at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, UK in July 2011. Image © Jan De Langhe - Ghent UBG.

'Rocket'

A columnar Northern Red Oak, growing to 10–12 m tall, which does not exhibit any particular autumn colouration, or at least none is described in the brief description. It was mentioned in the 2002 catalogue of Pavia Nursery, Belgium, and on the website of the Dutch nursery Hortus Conclusus (2025).

'Roman Salamon'

A new selection from Poland, discovered and described by Mariusz Olszanowski, distinguished by its striking white-pink-green variegation, pink young shoots and good autumn colour; according to Jablonski (2025) it has proven very stable so far. The plants grow less vigorously than the species, but due to the young age of the parent plant, no definitive statement can be made regarding its growth. It is grown in at least three Polish nurseries (E. Jablonski, pers. comm. 2025).

Foliage of Quercus rubra 'Roman Salamon' in Poland in October 2012, showing the variegated leaves. Image Mariusz Olszanowski.

Foliage of Quercus rubra 'Roman Salamon' in Poland in December 2011, showing the autumn colour. Image Mariusz Olszanowski.

Quercus rubra 'Roman Salamon' in Poland in February 2013 showing the pink shoots. Image Mariusz Olszanowski.

'Schrefeldii'

A somewhat enigmatic cultivar described by Dippel in 1892 as ‘zu den schöneren’ (‘among the more beautiful ones’), it originated before 1890 from seed in the Muskau Arboretum in eastern Germany, and was named after Gustav Schrefeld (1831–1891), the park’s director and nursery head, reputed to be a noted oak expert. It was introduced by the Späth Nursery in Berlin. Interestingly, Alfred Rehder – later of the Arnold Arboretum – worked in Muskau from 1886 to 1898 and married Schrefeld’s daughter Anneliese in 1906. Yet ‘Schrefeldii’ is not mentioned in his Manual (1927–1940) or Bibliography (1949), despite it being named in honour of his father-in-law. Krüssmann (1978) describes the leaves as deeply lobed with overlapping segments and a sharply tapering base. Boom (1959) also illustrated it (fig. 4k, below) though he mistakenly claimed it originated in Dieck’s nursery – contradicted by Dippel. Two cultivated specimens are known, neither matching exactly Krüssmann’s description nor Boom’s illustration. One grows at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, UK, the other in Ahrensburg near Hamburg. The foliage on the Hillier plant varies from year to year, sometimes appearing normal and at other times particularly distorted (pers obs. AJC). Given its cultural significance, locating and preserving this variety in more collections should be encouraged (Jablonski 2005; 2025).

Quercus rubra 'Schrefeldii' at Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire, UK. August 2021. Image Maricela Rodríguez.

Bark of Quercus rubra 'Schrefeldii' at Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire, UK. August 2021. Image Maricela Rodríguez.

Detail of fig. 4 from Boom 1959 (see text), showing a leaf of Quercus rubra 'Schrefeldii'.

Quercus rubra 'Schrefeldii' foliage at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, UK, in 2010. Image © Jan De Langhe, Ghent University Botanical Garden, 2010.

'Vana'

A small tree, less vigorous than the species. The young shoots are reddish, but turn yellowish-green in early summer; the foliage is densely speckled and mottled cream to light yellow-cream. It originated in Belgium before 2003 and was released by the Bömer Nursery in Zundert, the Netherlands. Currently found mainly in eastern European nurseries (Jablonski 2025).

'Wolfdonk's Pride'

A variegated selection discovered in Belgium before 2018, now available in many European nurseries. Grows somewhat less vigorously than the species, with large leaves up to 20 cm long. Besides the red new growth and the striking variegation, the red autumn colouring is noteworthy (Jablonski 2025).

Leaves conspicuously variegated with white, turning red in autumn, young growth red. It is less vigorous than typical Quercus rubra with large leaves to 20 cm long. Discovered in Belgium before 2018, it is now available in many European nurseries (Jablonski 2025).

A leaf of Quercus rubra 'Wolfdonk's Pride' at Arboretum Kruchten, Germany, in September 2025 showing the striking variegation. The plant is a young graft that came from the Szmit Nursery, Poland. Image Eike Jablonski.

Foliage of Quercus rubra 'Wolfdonk's Pride' at Arboretum Kruchten, Germany in October 2025 showing the autumn colour. Image Eike Jablonski.

'Yates'

Leaves slightly smaller and more deeply lobed than typical Quercus rubra, turning a striking scarlet-red in autumn. Propagated at the Döring Nursery in Ahnatal, near Kassel, Germany, as a seedling from a probably hybrid tree found by Guy Sternberg growing next to the statue of Governor Yates located on the southeast lawn of the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield. It has also been called ‘Yates Red’. It differs from the parent tree in Springfield in its less deeply cut leaves and red petioles (Jablonski 2025).

The seed parent of Quercus rubra 'Yates' by the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois, USA, October 2021. The statue of Richard Yates is behind the tree. Image Guy Sternberg.

Leaves from a specimen of Quercus rubra 'Yates' at Doering Nursery, Ahnatal, Germany Image www.eichen-doering.de.

Quercus rubra L.

Sponsor

Credits

Family

Genus

Common Names

Synonyms

Infraspecifics

Other taxa in genus

Infraspecifics

Other taxa in genus

Glossary

References

Credits

'Akatere'

Aurea Group

Aurea Group'Bolte's Gold'

Aurea Group'Evenley Gold'

Aurea Group'Limelight'

Aurea Group'Magic Fire'

Aurea Group'Sunshine'

'Boulder'

'Curly Girl'

'Cyrille'

'Fire Crest'

'Greg's Variegated'

'Haaren'

'Rocket'

'Roman Salamon'

'Schrefeldii'

'Vana'

'Wolfdonk's Pride'

'Yates'

Aurea Group
'Bolte's Gold'

Aurea Group
'Evenley Gold'

Aurea Group
'Limelight'

Aurea Group
'Magic Fire'

Aurea Group
'Sunshine'