Nuttall Oak
Quercus texana
A fast red oak for wet clay sites, increasingly planted as a tough, well-shaped street tree with good red fall color and heavy acorn crops valued by wildlife. Long confused in the trade — its accepted name is Quercus texana, though it is widely sold as Q. nuttallii.
Field reference
Family
Fagaceae
Growth rate
Fast
Mature size
40–60 ft tall, 35–50 ft spread
Hardiness zone
6–9
Soil preference
Moist to wet, heavy clay bottomlands; tolerates poor drainage and seasonal flooding
Sun
Full sun
Pruning window
Mid-winter (dormant); avoid April–July in oak-wilt regions
Wood properties
Strong red-group oak (~0.60 SG) sold as red oak. Sound, even-grained limb wood; fast growth can leave included bark at tight forks worth inspecting.
Native range
Lower Mississippi River Valley and Gulf Coastal Plain of the south-central United States
Green weight
60 lb/ft³
Pests & diseases to watch
Oak Wiltfungus · Severe severity · peak Spring and early summer (high infection risk from fresh wounds April–July)Spongy Moth (formerly Gypsy Moth)pest · High severity · peak Caterpillars feed and defoliate May–June; egg masses laid mid-summer overwinterBacterial Leaf Scorchdisease · High severity · peak Symptoms most visible mid-summer to fall (July–October)
Common questions
Is Nuttall oak good for wet, poorly drained yards?
Yes — it is one of the better large red oaks for heavy clay and bottomland sites that stay wet, where pin oak is the usual alternative. It also adapts well to ordinary landscape soil.
Why is Nuttall oak sometimes labeled Quercus texana or Q. nuttallii?
Nomenclature shifted: the species long called Q. nuttallii is now accepted as Quercus texana. Nurseries use both names, so check the description rather than the label when buying.
Related species in Fagaceae
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