Quercus coccinea Splendens - Scarlet Oak

Quercus coccinea 'Splendens' is a variety of scarlet oak with a splendid autumn foliage, even more intense red than the type. Majestic like all its cousins, it has deciduous foliage, deeply lobed and cut, dark green and shiny in summer, red in autumn, then brown, remaining on the branches for a long time in winter. Its imposing habit and elegance make it suitable for large gardens. Very tolerant of soil conditions, this oak only fears the presence of excessive limestone. It will adapt equally well to sandy and dry soils as well as heavy and occasionally waterlogged soils.

Native to the Northeastern United States (from Maine to Louisiana) and Canada, this large tree from the Fagaceae family can reach 20 to 25 metres (65 feet 7 inches to 82 feet) in height with a 15-metre (49 feet 2 inches) spread. In its natural environment, it can be found growing in poor soils, on well-drained highlands, dry slopes, and ridges, as well as poorly drained and marshy soils. The 'Splendens' cultivar, introduced in England at the Knap Hill Nursery around 1900, distinguishes itself with even more colourful autumn foliage. Quercus coccinea 'Splendens' has a pyramidal habit during its early years, then widens to become conical: the lower branches are slightly trailing while those that develop from mid-height are horizontal. The deciduous leaves, deeply cut into 5 to 9 lobes, somewhat resemble maple leaves. They measure from 7 to 16cm (2.8 to 6.3in) in length. Shiny green in the heart of summer, they take on magnificent autumnal shades, in different shades of red ranging from crimson to scarlet, then turn brown and persist on the branches until winter. This oak blooms in May-June, in the form of white and felted corymbs, then produces highly decorative 1cm (0.4in) acorns, shiny and light red, practically round, in two years. Its very straight trunk is covered with a slightly channelled, grey-brown to almost black bark, and its branches give rise to many slender small branches of a brownish-yellow colour. This species has a taproot, but its rooting is not very deep.

Scarlet oak grows in any preferably neutral to acid soil in an open position, where it will be visible from a distance. It will be cultivated as an ornamental tree in parks and large gardens, where it expresses its full potential as a shade tree or specimen. It shows more harmonious development when grown in sheltered conditions, without excessive competition. Why not associate it with Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'Gold Rush', with field maple and larch, which are splendid in autumn. Two species of ferns such as Onoclea sensibilis, in neutral to acidic and moist soil, in full sun to partial shade, and Dryopteris palustris (Telypteris palustris), ideal in riverside or marsh scenes, in light shade or in the sun, can also be planted at its base.