Nuttall Oak

Arbor Walk #104, TreeKeeper ID #6084

The Nuttall Oak is a deciduous shade tree that is well-suited to urban settings due to its tolerance against wet soils, drought conditions and most disease and pest problems. This is a fast-growing oak tree that is capable of growing in many different kinds of soils. Like most oak trees, it produces small acorns that are oblong in shape. Its leaves are deep green and turn orange to red in late fall. It is native to wet, swampy forests, and is a good street tree, as it forms a narrower canopy rather than a wide one.

The Nuttall Oak is a member of the subgenus of red oaks. These oaks are distinguishable from other oaks from their awns (soft bristles) at the ends of leaf lobes, their orange hairs on the leaf underside at vein intersections, and their dark, ridged bark. Although very similar in appearance to the Northern Red Oak, the leaves of the Nuttall Oak are more deeply lobed and slightly smaller on average.

Common NameNuttall Oak
Latin NameQuercus texana
Indigenous Name(s)
Cultivar/Variety
Commercial Name
Global Distribution
Where to find Arbor Walk #104 on WashU campus
Our Nuttall Oak in space
GPS Coordinates

N/A

Percent Concrete

N/A

Distance to Buildings
YearClose Building #1Close Building #2Close Building #3
Distance to Other Species
YearClose Species #1Close Species # 2Close Species # 3
Our Nuttall Oak through time
Standard Measurements
YearHeight (m)DBH (cm)Caliper (m)Crown Diameter N-S (m)Crown Diameter E-W (m)Average Crown Diameter (m)
2023715N/A4.624.264.44
Nests and Pests
YearDescription
2023N/A
How to identify a Nuttall Oak
Leaf Identification

The Nuttall Oak has dark green leaves that are simple, alternate, and ovate shaped with 6-11 asymmetrical lobes. The leaves have awns (bristle tips) at the lobe ends and deep sinuses between lobes.

Twig and Bud Identification

The twigs are reddish-brown with lighter lenticels (pores) and have clusters of pointy, furry, and brown terminal buds.

Bark Identification

The bark is gray-brown and generally smooth, developing shallow fissures and ridges with age.

Fruit Identification

The fruit of the Nuttall Oak is an oblong acorn with a scaly cup that covers about half of the nut. The nut is reddish brown with stripes.

Flower Identification

The Nuttall Oak is monoecious. The flowers are yellowish-green male catkins (hanging clusters of pollen-bearing flowers) and inconspicuous female flowers.

Relationship of Quercus texana to other species in the arboretum
Additional resources on the Nuttall Oak

Take a look around Arbor Walk Tree #104