Plant · P-990

Shumard Oak

Quercus shumardii

Shumard oak is a fast-growing deciduous tree in the red oak group, opening from a pyramidal young shape into a broad, spreading crown at maturity. Its glossy, deeply lobed leaves turn a late brownish-red in fall. Acorns feed songbirds and small mammals, and the foliage hosts caterpillars of the imperial moth and several hairstreak and duskywing butterflies. It tolerates both dry spells and occasional wet soil once established, and its size and tolerance for urban conditions suit it to open ground as a shade tree.