SHUMARD OAK

260 Avon Rd.

Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii)

Quercus shumardii, the Shumard oak, spotted oak, Schneck oak, Shumard red oak, or swamp red oak, is one of the largest of the oak species in the red oak group. It is native to the Atlantic coast plain primarily from North Carolina to northern Florida and west to central Texas; it is also found north in the Mississippi River Valley to central Oklahoma, eastern Kansas, Missouri, southern Illinois, Indiana, wester and southern Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The Shumard oak is a stately tree with beautiful fall color and great urban adaptability. It is drought tolerant and fast growing, and prefers well-drained soil. Its small acorns are loved by deer and squirrels. Mature Sumard oaks typically reach heights of 82 to 115 feet, trunk diameter is typically 24 to 39 inches, and its crown width typically reaches 39 to 59 feet. The trunks may have deeply fluted buttresses near the ground. The leaves, which turn brown to red in the fall and sometimes have hues of yellow mixed in, are arranged alternately along the branches and are broadly tear-drop shaped with 5 to 9 lobes, each of which is terminated vy bristle-tipped teeth.