Quercus palustris

Common Names

Pin Oak, Swamp Oak, Swamp Spanish Oak, Water Oak

Summary

Pin Oak is a fast-growing deciduous oak native to eastern and central North America. It forms a pyramidal crown when young that matures to an oval shape, reaching about 50–75 ft tall and 35–40 ft wide. Leaves are 5–7-lobed with deep U-shaped sinuses, glossy green in summer and turning red to copper in autumn, with lower branches drooping, middle branches horizontal, and upper branches ascending, creating a distinctive layered silhouette; bark is gray-brown and becomes fissured with age; acorns are small, about 1/2 in long, completing the characteristic look. It tolerates wet or poorly drained soils, making it a common landscape tree in moist sites.

Cultivation favors full sun and moist to well-drained, acidic soils, with adaptability to clay, loam, or sand; high-pH soils may cause iron chlorosis. Shallow fibrous roots aid transplanting, and it is widely used as a shade tree, street tree, buffer, parking-lot island, and reclamation planting. Lower branches often droop and may require removal in street plantings. Maintenance centers on establishing a strong trunk, with pruning in early development. Pests and diseases include iron chlorosis on alkaline soils, galls, scales, aphids, caterpillars, oak wilt, leaf blister, cankers, and powdery mildew. It provides wildlife value through acorns that feed wildlife and supports biodiversity; notable autumn color.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

50-75 ft

Spread

25-60 ft

Hardiness Zones

Zones 4-8

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun; tolerates partial sun and partial shade

Soil Type

Moist, acidic, well-drained loamy soil

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil (moist but not waterlogged)

Soil pH

4.5-6.5, Acidic to neutral

Bloom Color

Insignificant

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Green in spring and summer; autumn foliage turns red, orange, yellow, bronze, russet, or purple

Fall Foliage Color

Bronze to red

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Fast-growing, 1.7–3 ft per year

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Fall

Propagation Methods

Seeds

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts birds and butterflies