For a beautiful tree that can survive our hot summers, feed wildlife and even support the political aspirations of our DC neighbors, consider scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea).
This month, the scarlet oaks that dot our urban forest are gearing up to display their fall color. Unlike most of the other oak species native to our area, which have limited autumn palettes of muted reds and brown, the leaves of these aptly named trees are beginning to turn bright red.
Scarlet oak’s preferred habitat is dry upland forests with sandy soils, and its natural range is the eastern United States from southern New England west to Wisconsin and south to the higher elevations of Georgia and Alabama.
Takoma Park and Takoma DC, elevated above the Atlantic coastal plain, sit squarely within its comfort zone, even though our soils tend to be more clay than sand. Scarlet oak also can take the heat of our summers and the droughts that often accompany them.
Scarlet oak grows relatively fast for an oak. At maturity, it reaches 50 to 70 feet in height and spreads up to 50 feet wide. It will start to produce acorns at 20 years of age, to the delight of many insects, birds and mammals. According to the Native Plant Trust, “Blue jays, red-headed woodpeckers, and squirrels remove many acorns while still on the tree, and insects can damage up to 80 percent of the acorn crop in a given year.”
Even before the arrival of acorns, scarlet oak—in common with the other members of its genus—supports the larvae of hundreds of moths and butterflies, which feed on its leaves. These larvae in turn are an important source of food for birds. Another insect, the adult northern walking-stick, also enjoys munching the leaves.
To top it all off, scarlet oak since 1960 has been the official tree of the District of Columbia. We can fly the iconic DC flag of three stars and two bars, wear “Free DC” t-shirts, and rally in support of the Kennedy Center and East Potomac Park, but let’s cultivate and appreciate scarlet oaks, too.
—Meg Voorhes
Photos by Meg Voorhes