Scarlet Oak earns its name honestly. As fall progresses, the glossy, deeply lobed green leaves, each lobe bristle-tipped and forming a characteristic C-shape between sinuses, turn a vivid scarlet that holds for weeks before dropping. Growing 50 to 80 feet tall with an open, rounded habit and a 45 to 60-foot spread, this is a substantial native tree for parks, large properties, and street plantings in zones 4 through 9. The epithet coccinea, Latin for scarlet, has been attached to this species for the obvious reason, and the tree rarely fails to deliver on the promise.

Beyond ornament, scarlet oak is a fast grower by oak standards and begins producing acorns at about 20 years, with the deep bowl-shaped caps covering a good portion of the nut. It prefers acidic, well-drained, sandy soil on the drier side, and its relative tolerance for acidic conditions makes it less prone to the chlorosis that troubles pin oaks on neutral soils. The taproot complicates transplanting, so planting small and leaving it undisturbed pays dividends. As a host plant it supports the Imperial moth and numerous hairstreak butterflies, and the acorn crop feeds a wide assembly of birds and small mammals through winter.