Quercus rubra - Red Oak - Bareroot Saplings

Red Oak Plants - Delivered by Mail Order from the Nursery with a 1 Year Guarantee

Red Oak, Quercus rubra, is a vigorous tree that can reach a great size in the right conditions, with a huge round canopy the size of a house. Its rich red autumn colour is excellent. Unlike most other oaks, it isn't very shade tolerant and although it will grow in the city, we recommend it for wide open spaces with rich soil, where this marvelous tree can really shine.
Red Oak is not suitable for a clipped hedge.
It can be grown as a screening tree up to about 28 metres high. It is a good, tall windbreak tree.
The plants on this page are young saplings. You can also buy larger Red Oak trees here.
Browse all of our other varieties of Oak here.

Red Oak plants are only delivered bareroot, during winter (Nov-March).

Choosing a size: When you are ordering a large quantity of Red Oak for a big planting project, we suggest that you buy the smaller plants, graded at 60/80cms. They are cheaper than large plants, easier to handle and more likely to cope well with poor conditions. Buy the larger 90/120cms plants if you are planting a few of them as specimens in a park or garden.
All of our young trees and shrubs are measured by their height in centimetres above the ground (the roots aren't measured).

General description of Quercus rubra plants:
Old botanical Names (No longer used): Quercus borealis, Quercus digitata.
Common Names: Red Oak, Champion Oak, Northern Red Oak

This tree is planted for its autumn colour, which is quite spectacular. The leaves begin to turn blood red at the edges, while the centre slowly fades from deep green to pale yellow-green before the whole leaf turns an even deeper red. It is a big tree with a spreading, rounded canopy of main branches that emerge at right angles to the trunk. This spreading habit, combined with its relative dislike of shade, makes it unsuitable for city planting in most places, although it is tolerant of air pollution.

History & uses of Quercus rubra
Red Oak is the state tree of New Jersey. It was brought to Europe in the 1720's, mainly as an ornamental tree, but it is also a valuable timber producer. The acorns are popular with deer and pigs.

Notes on planting Red Oak plants:
Red Oak will tolerate a range of well drained soils and conditions, but it needs full sun, a rich soil and some shelter to give you the best autumn display. It is a very hardy tree, but exposed locations will affect the shape of the canopy.
It will not grow well in the shade or on poorly drained sites, although it is suitable for hilly areas with high rainfall.

Prepare your site before planting:
It is good to dig over the area where you intend to plant several months in advance. Destroy the weeds first: nettles, brambles and ground elder are tough and a glyphosate based weed-killer is the best way to remove them. Then dig the soil over; remove rocks, roots and other rubbish. Mix in well rotted compost or manure down to the depth of about 2 spades.
If you have a heavy clay soil, it might be too difficult to dig over for most of the year. Heavy clay is fertile soil, so you don't really need to improve it; killing the weeds is still necessary.

Remember to water establishing plants during dry weather for at least a year after planting.

Planting accessories:
Prepare your site for planting by killing the weeds and grass with Roundup weed killer.
If you are planting in an area with rabbit and/or deer, you will need to use a protective plastic spiral for each plant, supported by a bamboo cane.
If your soil quality is poor, we recommend using mycorrhizal "friendly fungi" on the roots of new trees and shrubs.
You can also improve your soil with bonemeal organic fertiliser and Growmore.

After you plant your Red Oak trees, the most important thing to do is water them in dry weather. You will also need to weed around the plants. Both of these will be necessary for at least a year after planting.
Water thoroughly but not too often: let the soil get close to drying out before watering your plants again.

Special notes on caring for Red Oak:
Red Oak is a very tough plant that shouldn't need special attention once it has established. If pruning is necessary, it is best do it in winter. Always hire a tree surgeon to remove large branches.

Hygiene & Diseases:
Dead, damaged or diseased wood can be pruned off as soon as it appears.
Disinfect your pruning tools between every cut if there is any sign of disease.
Burn or dispose of any diseased material, do not compost it.

Read our full terms and conditions here.

Delivery: The basic delivery charge for orders of bareroot plants is