OF Ohio 



63 



SCARLET OAK 



Quercus coccinea, Muench 



THE Scarlet Oak, also called Spanish Oak, is the showiest 

 of the American oaks. Its autumn garb of brilliant 

 scarlet red and crimson makes it stand out among all its 

 associates. 



The leaves arc simple, alternate, 3 to 6 inches long, 3 to 

 5 inches wide, 5 to 9-lobed. 

 Lobes are bristle-tipped and 

 separated by deep clefts. 



The flowers resemble those 

 of other oaks. 



The fruit is an acorn, ma- 

 turing in two seasons. The 

 cup is thin, narrowed at base, 

 often glossy on surface, cov- 

 ers y2 of nut. The nut is 

 three-fifths of an inch long, 

 reddish-brown. 



The bark on small stems 

 and branches is smooth, thin, 

 light to grayish-brown, be- 

 comes rough and irregular on 

 older trunks, sometimes al- 

 most black near base. Flat- scarlet oak 



topped ridges occur between Leaf and acorns, one-third natural size. 

 1 11 r T _ _ _ Twig, one-half natural size. 



shallow furrows. Inner 



bark is of pale-coloring. Dead limbs often persist along 

 lower trunk. The twigs are smooth, rather slender, red- 

 dish to grayish-brown. The buds are about ^ of an inch 

 long, covered with a pale wool from apex to middle. 



The wood is rather strong, heavy, hard, coarse in tex- 

 ture. It does not have a wide commercial use, but is valu- 

 able for fuel, ties and general construction. 



The Scarlet Oak is found from Maine to Minnesota south 

 to North Carolina and west to Nebraska. It is common to 

 abundant in southeastern Ohio, becoming less abundant to 

 rare in other parts of State. One usually finds it on dry, 

 sandy soil, but it makes its best growth along moist foothills. 

 Toward its southern limits it becomes 80 feet high and 3 

 feet in diameter. No other oak can equal the Scarlet Oak 

 in brilliant foliage. It is being used more extensively for 

 ornamental purposes in the eastern states. 



