From: USDA Forest Service Fact Sheet ST-554 October 1994 Quercus nuttallii Nuttall Oak1 Edward F. Gilman and Dennis G. Watson2 INTRODUCTION This native North American deciduous tree is capable of reaching 100 to 120 feet in height but is more often seen at 60 to 80 feet (Fig. 1). The dull, dark green, lobed leaves are four to eight inches long and two to five inches wide. The small, reddish- brown acorns are 0.75 to 1.25 inches long. The bark is dark, grey/brown, and divided into broad, flat plates. GENERAL INFORMATION Scientific name: Quercus nuttallii Pronunciation: KWERK-us nuh-TALL-ee-eye Common name(s): Nuttall Oak Family: Fagaceae USDA hardiness zones: 6B through 8 (Fig. 2) Origin: native to North America Uses: large parking lot islands (> 200 square feet in size); wide tree lawns (>6 feet wide); recommended for buffer strips around parking lots or for median strip plantings in the highway; shade tree; specimen; residential street tree; no proven urban tolerance Availability: somewhat available, may have to go out of the region to find the tree DESCRIPTION Height: 60 to 80 feet Spread: 35 to 50 feet Crown uniformity: irregular outline or silhouette Crown shape: round Crown density: moderate Growth rate: medium Texture: medium Figure 1. Middle-aged Nuttall Oak. Foliage Leaf arrangement: alternate (Fig. 3) Leaf type: simple Leaf margin: lobed; parted Leaf shape: ovate Leaf venation: pinnate Leaf type and persistence: deciduous 1. This document is adapted from Fact Sheet ST-554, a series of the Environmental Horticulture Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Publication date: October 1994. 2. Edward F. Gilman, associate professor, Environmental Horticulture Department; Dennis G. Watson, associate professor, Agricultural Engineering Department, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611. Quercus nuttallii -- Nuttall Oak Page 2 Figure 2. Shaded area represents potential planting range. Leaf blade length: 4 to 8 inches Leaf color: green Fall color: red Fall characteristic: showy Flower Flower color: brown Flower characteristics: inconspicuous and not showy; spring flowering Fruit Fruit shape: oval; round Fruit length: 1 to 3 inches; .5 to 1 inch Fruit covering: dry or hard Fruit color: brown Fruit characteristics: attracts squirrels and other mammals; inconspicuous and not showy; fruit, twigs, or foliage cause significant litter Trunk and Branches Trunk/bark/branches: droop as the tree grows, and will require pruning for vehicular or pedestrian clearance beneath the canopy; not particularly showy; should be grown with a single leader; no thorns Pruning requirement: needs little pruning to develop a strong structure Breakage: resistant Current year twig color: brown; green Current year twig thickness: medium; thin Culture Light requirement: tree grows in full sun Soil tolerances: clay; loam; sand; acidic; extended flooding; well-drained Drought tolerance: moderate Other Roots: surface roots are usually not a problem Winter interest: no special winter interest Outstanding tree: tree has outstanding ornamental features and could be planted more Invasive potential: little, if any, potential at this time Quercus nuttallii -- Nuttall Oak Page 3 Figure 3. Foliage of Nuttall Oak. Verticillium wilt susceptibility: not known to be susceptible Pest resistance: unknown USE AND MANAGEMENT Nuttall Oak should be grown in full sun on any soil and is very tolerant of poorly-drained, wet sites. This should make it well suited for the soil conditions found at many urban sites. If landscape nurseries grew this tree more often, it would be specified for poorly-drained urban and suburban landscape sites. Propagation is by seed. Pests and Diseases No pests or diseases of major concern.

Bark dark brownish gray, slightly fissured. A red oak. Leaves oblong or elliptical, 4 to 8 inches long, deeply 5- to 7-lobed, the narrow lobes with a few bristle-pointed teeth, dark green above, paler and nearly smooth beneath. Acorns oblong, 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches long, enclosed 1/3 to 1/2 by the deep cup. Principal uses: red oak lumber.