Texas Red Oak Tree, 4–8 ft

The reason Texas has a fall. Texas red oak turns real scarlet in November, not rust and not brown, and it does it at thirty-five feet instead of seventy, which is why it fits an actual front yard. Native from the Hill Country north to the Red River. Drought-tough once it is rooted. The single best fall-color tree that will survive a Central Texas August.

What actually ships

• 3-Gallon: 4 to 6 ft tall, 1/2 to 3/4 in caliper, container-grown, single leader
• 7-Gallon: 6 to 8 ft tall, 3/4 to 1-1/4 in caliper, container-grown
• Root form: Container-grown, root ball intact
• Shipped as: Upright in a corrugated carton, soil bagged at the collar
• Honest note: Fall color intensity varies seedling to seedling. We grade for form and caliper. We cannot grade for color and we are not going to pretend we can

Mature size

• Height: 30 to 45 ft
• Spread: 25 to 35 ft
• Growth rate: Moderate, 1.5 to 2 ft per year
• Fall color: Scarlet to deep red, typically mid-to-late November in Central Texas

Where it grows

• USDA zones: 6 to 9
• Texas planting window: October 15 to February 28
• Native status: True Texas native. Quercus buckleyi is endemic to Texas and southern Oklahoma. It is our state's own red oak
• Soil: Native to limestone but wants drainage. Do not plant it in a low spot that holds water
• Sun: Full sun
• Water: Low once established, but water it through the first two summers

Texas care notes

• Oak wilt: This is a red oak, which means it is the species oak wilt kills fastest and spreads from. Do not prune between February 1 and June 30. Oak wilt is moved by sap beetles in spring. Paint every wound within 30 minutes, any time of year. Do not plant it within root-graft distance of a red oak that has already died
• Spacing: 25 to 35 ft

Ship window and your cancellation right

Field-grown Texas stock ships during the dormant season. Orders ship between October 15 and December 15, 2026, oldest order first. That is deliberate: Texas Arbor Day is the first Friday in November (November 6, 2026) because fall is when a tree should go in the ground here.

If we cannot ship inside that window we will email you before it closes with a revised date and a one-click cancel link. If the new date is 30 days or less past the original, you can wait or cancel, your choice. If we need more than 30 days, your order is cancelled and refunded automatically unless you tell us to hold it. Refunds go back to your original card within 7 business days. This is the FTC Mail Order Rule (16 CFR Part 435) and we would rather you use it than be surprised.

The spec is the promise

Measure your tree against the "What actually ships" numbers above on the day it arrives. If it misses the spec, photograph it and we refund you in full and you keep the tree. We are not going to send you a stick and a photograph of somebody else's oak.

About this image: our product photography is an illustrative rendering of a mature, well-grown specimen of this species. It is not a photograph of the individual plant you will receive. The written "What actually ships" spec above is the binding description of your tree.