Gardening Plants & Flowers Trees

8 Oak Trees for Fall Foliage

Pin oak tree with yellow-green and orange leaves for fall foliage

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

When it comes to beautiful autumnal foliage, one may not immediately think of an oak tree in fall since these trees don't acquire their vibrant colors until later in the season. However, this doesn't mean that oak trees still aren't a fantastic option for basking in the autumnal hues.

After all, once other trees, such as maple trees, lose the last of their leaves, oak trees carry on the show of fall colors as the season transitions from late autumn to winter.

For most oak trees, the average mature height is between 40 and 80 feet and they live between 100 to 300 years. In addition to providing stunning autumnal landscaping, oak trees have other benefits such as providing shade in the summer months and benefiting pollinators and local wildlife.

Below, discover eight types of oak trees with fall colors to plant in your landscape.

Tip

Do note that not all oak trees have the same fall colors. Also, some oak trees even keep their leaves in the winter, such as the pin oak.

  • 01 of 08

    Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)

    Quercus palustris

    Simon McGill / Getty Images

    Pin oak trees (Quercus palustris) grow in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 8, and their foliage can turn a deep red in the fall if conditions are right. They often reach a height of 70 feet with an almost equal spread. Their leaves are about 5 inches long with five lobes, and they sport a deep glossy green color during the rest of the growing season.

    Pin oaks easily grow in a spot that gets lots of sun and has average soil with an acidic soil pH. They're even tolerant of wet soil. The trees get their name from the sharp stubs, or "pins," left on the trunk after the lower branches die and break off.

    • USDA zones: 4–8
    • Mature size: 70 feet tall
    • Light: Full sun
    • Water: Low needs
    • Soil type: Acidic
  • 02 of 08

    White Oak (Quercus alba)

    Quercus alba

    Bob Gutowski / Flickr / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

    White oak trees (Quercus alba) get their common name from the relatively light color of their bark. Under the right conditions, their fall foliage can be a reddish-brown color that is especially rich on young trees.

    Their leaves are between 4 and 9 inches long with seven to nine lobes. They start a pinkish color in the spring and transition to dark green.

    The trees can reach 80 feet tall with a similar spread. They like full sun and acidic soil. However, unlike pin oaks, they don't like wet soil but rather are fairly drought-tolerant trees that need good soil drainage. White oaks are slow growers but will mature into exceptional shade trees.

    • USDA zones: 3–9
    • Mature size: 80 feet tall
    • Light: Full sun
    • Water: Low needs
    • Soil type: Acidic
  • 03 of 08

    Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)

    Quercus rubra

    mtreasure / Getty Images

    Northern red oak trees (Quercus rubra) are grown in hardiness zones 4 to 8 and often reach 75 feet tall with a similar spread. They live up to their common name when conditions are right, bearing dark red fall foliage (or reddish-brown under less-than-ideal growing conditions).

    Their sun and soil requirements are similar to white oak trees, but northern red oaks are the faster grower between the two. For the rest of the growing season, they feature medium green leaves that are 5 to 9 inches long with between seven and 11 pointed lobes. The trees are generally hardy and live for several decades. 

    • USDA zones: 4–8
    • Mature size: 75 feet tall
    • Light: Partial to full sun
    • Water: High needs
    • Soil type: Sandy, well-draining
  • 04 of 08

    Sawtooth Oak (Quercus acutissima)

    Quercus acutissima

    backpacker / Getty Images

    The leaves of sawtooth oak trees (Quercus acutissima) turn yellow in the autumn and can eventually become golden brown. For the rest of the growing season, the 7-inch-long leaves are a dark glossy green. At maturity, sawtooth oaks reach between 40 and 60 feet tall on average with a similar spread.

    They are fast-growing trees that are hardy to zones 6 to 9, which is ideal for those who want a shade tree that won't take forever to start casting cooling shadows in the yard. Sawtooth oaks prefer a spot that gets a lot of sun, and they can tolerate some drought as well as heat and humidity. They grow best in rich, well-draining soil.

    • USDA zones: 6–9
    • Mature size: 40 to 60 feet tall
    • Light: Full sun
    • Water: Low needs
    • Soil type: Rich, humusy, medium moisture
    Continue to 5 of 8 below
  • 05 of 08

    Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)

    Quercus macrocarpa

    Jeff Foott / Getty Images

    Bur oaks (Quercus macrocarpa) grow in hardiness zones 3 to 8 and feature golden to yellow-brown foliage in the fall. Their leaves are 6 to 12 inches long with between five and nine rounded lobes, and they display a dark green color for the rest of the growing season.

    Bur oaks are slow growers, reaching between 60 and 80 feet tall on average with a similar spread. Overall they are low-maintenance and long-lived shade trees. They can tolerate many soil conditions, including dry soil and clay soil, though they prefer a well-draining loam. And they are even tolerant of pollution.

    • USDA zones: 3–8
    • Mature size: 60 to 80 feet tall
    • Light: Full sun
    • Water: Low-maintenance
    • Soil type: Well-draining loam
  • 06 of 08

    Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)

    Live oak tree with thick sprawling branches full of leaves

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

    The live oak tree (Quercus virginiana) grows in USDA hardiness zones 8 to 10. The live oak tree gets its name from the fact it is an evergreen oak. Live oaks are found along the coastlines of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic from Texas to Virginia.

    These beautiful giants are often draped in Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) and have sprawling, lateral branches that can be three times as wide as this oak tree is tall. Remember, these trees are known for their massive presence, so ensure you have plenty of space for them to thrive, both in height and width.

    • USDA zones: 8–10
    • Mature size: 40-80 feet tall
    • Light: Part shade, full sun
    • Water: Low needs
    • Soil type: Dry to moist and well-draining
  • 07 of 08

    Black Oak (Quercus velutina)

    Close up photo of the young leaves and flowers of a black oak tree.

    JoanWynn/Getty Images

    Black oak trees are native to most of the United States, east of the Great Plains. The Black oak earned its name due to its bark, which becomes almost completely black when mature. These trees reach 50 to 60 feet in height and grow in USDA zones 3 through 9.

    This deciduous tree grows best alone because it doesn't deal well with competing neighbor trees. This makes the black oak tree perfect as a solitary or specimen tree.

    • USDA zones: 3–9
    • Mature size: 50 to 60 feet tall
    • Light: Full sun
    • Water: Water once soil is dry
    • Soil type: Average, well-draining soil
  • 08 of 08

    Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea)

    A photo of a scalet oak in late fall

    Ronald Wilson Photography / Getty Images

    Scarlet oak trees are stunning and well-known for their gorgeous contribution to fall foliage. A scarlet oak tree requires a medium amount of water and full sun to thrive the most. Dry, acidic sandy soil helps this tree reach its greatest height of 50 to 70 feet tall.

    This fast-growing oak tree inhabits mostly the eastern and central parts of the United States such as New York, Georgia, Michigan, and Missouri. It grows in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 9.

    • USDA zones: 4–9
    • Mature size: 50 to 70 feet tall
    • Light: Full sun
    • Water: Medium needs
    • Soil type: Dry, acidic, sandy soil
FAQ
  • Which oak trees are not deciduous?

    Some varieties of oak trees that are not deciduous are pin oak trees.

  • Why do some oak trees not lose leaves?

    Some oak trees do not lose their leaves because of something called marcescence. However, there is no established reason as to why this happens yet.

  • What is the average lifespan of an oak tree?

    The average lifespan of an oak tree will depend on the specifies of the given oak tree. However, the average lifespan ranges from between 100 to 300 years.

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. What is the life span of an oak tree? New York Botanical Garden

  2. The Mystery of Marcescence. University of Maryland Extension