{"product_id":"quercus-coccinea","title":"Quercus coccinea","description":"\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eScarlet Oak\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBotanical Name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eQuercus coccinea\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFamily:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fagaceae\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Eastern North America\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlant Type:\u003c\/strong\u003e Large deciduous shade tree\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOverview\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eScarlet Oak is one of the most spectacular deciduous trees available for South Australian gardens, earning its name from the extraordinary blaze of scarlet and crimson it produces each autumn. A bold, long-lived specimen, it develops a pyramidal shape in youth before broadening into a grand, wide-spreading open canopy — the kind of tree that becomes a garden landmark for generations. Fast-growing and adaptable to a range of soils including clay, it thrives in SA's temperate and Mediterranean-style climates where cold winters unlock its most brilliant colour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey Features\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMature Size:\u003c\/strong\u003e 18 m H × 10 m W\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fast; 30–60 cm per year when young; strongly pyramidal in youth, broadening progressively into a wide, open, rounded canopy with horizontal branching at maturity\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFoliage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Large, deeply lobed, glossy dark green leaves with deeply cut sinuses that give each leaf an almost skeletal, architectural quality; leaves emerge slightly bronze in spring before hardening to rich green\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlowers:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pendulous yellow-green catkins (male) in spring alongside emerging foliage; non-fragrant; ornamentally minor but provide early-season nectar for pollinators\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSeasonal Interest:\u003c\/strong\u003e Brilliant scarlet to crimson autumn colour — among the most vivid of any deciduous tree in SA; acorns mature over two seasons, starting green before turning pale brown with a deep cap\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWildlife Value:\u003c\/strong\u003e Acorns provide food for native birds, rosellas, cockatoos, and small mammals; spring catkins support early-season bees and pollinators\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTolerance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Frost hardy (tolerates heavy Adelaide Hills frosts); heat tolerant through SA summers; moderately drought tolerant once well established; clay tolerant; wind tolerant once the root system is anchored\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePlanting Density:\u003c\/strong\u003e Specimen planting — allow a minimum of 8–10 m clearance from buildings, paved surfaces, and underground services to accommodate the mature 10 m spread and trunk flare; avenue or parkland planting — space trees 10–12 m apart centre-to-centre for a grand canopy corridor\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePet Friendly:\u003c\/strong\u003e Toxic — acorns, leaves, and bark contain tannins that are harmful if ingested in quantity by dogs, cats, and especially horses and livestock; rake fallen acorns away from areas accessed by pets and animals\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhere It Works Best\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSunlight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun; best autumn colour is achieved in an open, fully sun-exposed position — shaded trees produce muted tones\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e Adaptable to sandy, loam, and clay soils; Speciality Trees note it performs particularly well in freely draining sites and sandy soils; tolerates moderately heavy clay provided drainage is managed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWater Needs:\u003c\/strong\u003e Establishment (first 2–3 years): deep watering 2–3 times per week during summer and warm autumn, tapering to once weekly in cooler months. Established: summer — one deep weekly soaking during prolonged dry spells; winter — SA rainfall typically sufficient, supplemental irrigation rarely needed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaintenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Low once established; prune only to remove dead, damaged, or crossing branches in late winter while fully dormant; no routine feeding required in reasonable soils; rake or blow fallen acorns from paths and lawn areas in late summer\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLifespan:\u003c\/strong\u003e 200–500+ years; a genuine multigenerational specimen\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClimate Zones:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ideal for Adelaide Hills and Mount Lofty Ranges where cold winters drive outstanding autumn colour; performs well across temperate Adelaide metropolitan suburbs and SA's inland wine regions (Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, McLaren Vale, Coonawarra); not suited to tropical or subtropical conditions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil pH:\u003c\/strong\u003e Prefers mildly acidic to neutral (pH 5.5–7.0); avoid highly alkaline soils which can trigger interveinal chlorosis on the foliage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLandscape \u0026amp; Design Ideas\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePlant as a majestic lawn specimen on acreage or in spacious suburban gardens where its full 10 m spread and 18 m canopy can be appreciated from a distance — position where the low western sun will backlight the autumn foliage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCreate a dramatic seasonal avenue along a long driveway or property boundary by planting trees at 10–12 m centres, delivering a tunnel of green in summer and a corridor of scarlet fire each autumn\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePair with evergreen understorey plantings — ornamental grasses, low native groundcovers, or dense shrubs — to keep the garden looking complete and full when the tree is bare through winter\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy You Will Love It\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf you want one tree that will stop people in their tracks every single autumn, Scarlet Oak is that tree. No other deciduous oak delivers quite the same intensity of colour — not russet or burnt orange, but a true, saturated scarlet that glows incandescently in the low autumn light. Buy it young, plant it in the right spot, and it will still be standing — and still blazing — long after everything else in the garden has changed many times over.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Adelaide Plant Co","offers":[{"title":"400mm Pot","offer_id":68039640219900,"sku":"QUER-COCC-400MM-SO","price":211.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100L Grow Bag","offer_id":68039640252668,"sku":"QUER-COCC-100L-SO","price":550.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/9282\/0220\/files\/quercus-cocinea-scarlet-oak-100L-pot-adelaide-plant-co.jpg?v=1793413738","url":"https:\/\/adelaideplantco.com.au\/products\/quercus-coccinea","provider":"Adelaide Plant Co","version":"1.0","type":"link"}