Quick Facts
Exposure: Full Sun
Height at Maturity: 60-70 Feet
Usage: Landscaping
Shipped As: Bare-root
Planting Zones:
Product Details
Pin oak seedlings (Quercus palustris) are the classic oak for flooded timber. Waterfowl managers plant them in greentree reservoirs and moist-soil units, conservation crews use them on poorly drained clay flats, and cities have lined streets and campuses with pin oak for generations. Tennessee Wholesale Nursery ships bare root pin oak in 6-12 inch, 12-18 inch and 6-24 inch row-run grades, in bundles of 100, 500 and 1,000.
Pin Oak Quick Facts
| Botanical name | Quercus palustris (pin oak, swamp Spanish oak) |
|---|---|
| Family / group | Fagaceae, red oak group |
| USDA zones | 4 to 8 |
| Mature size | 60 to 70 feet tall, 25 to 45 feet wide |
| Growth rate | Fast for an oak |
| Light | Full sun |
| Soil | Moist to seasonally wet, acidic to neutral clay and loam |
| Acorns | About 1/2 inch, ripening in the second fall |
| Fall color | Russet, bronze and red |
| Grades and bundles | 6-12 in, 12-18 in, 6-24 in row run; bundles of 100, 500 or 1,000 |
Built for Greentree Reservoirs and Duck Holes
The species name palustris means "of the marsh," and pin oak earns it. In the wild it grows on flat, slow-draining bottoms and upland clay pans that pond water through winter. That habit makes it a cornerstone of greentree reservoirs, where timber is flooded during the dormant season and drained before spring leaf-out. Its small, round acorns are an ideal size for mallards and wood ducks to swallow whole, and they drop through fall and early winter, right when birds arrive.
- Waterfowl impoundments: A dependable mast oak for flooded hardwood units.
- Wetland restoration: Adds red-oak diversity to bottomland plantings on wet clay.
- Hunting property: Acorns also feed deer, wild turkey and squirrels on adjoining ground.
A Proven Street, Park and Campus Tree
Away from the swamp, pin oak is one of the most widely planted shade oaks in North America. Young trees form a tidy pyramid with a single straight leader, maturing into a broad oval crown. Landscape architects and municipal foresters specify it for avenues, parks, school grounds and large commercial sites, and nurseries line out pin oak seedlings to grow into salable shade-tree whips.
Stocking Rates by Project Type
| Project | Typical spacing | Seedlings per acre |
|---|---|---|
| Greentree reservoir or bottomland restoration | 10 x 10 ft | About 435 |
| Dense restoration or mitigation | 8 x 10 ft | About 545 |
| Wildlife mast block | 15 x 15 ft | About 195 |
| Nursery lining out | 12-18 in within rows | Varies with row width |
Row run is the economical choice for acreage. The graded 12-18 inch size gives landscape and nursery buyers a more uniform stem.
Wet-Site Companions
Pin oak pairs naturally with willow oak seedlings and swamp white oak for a mixed-mast duck timber planting, and with bald cypress on the wettest ground. Browse more wetland species in our restoration and mitigation plants, or read how seedlings fit large projects in our article on seedlings in restoration.
Pin Oak Questions from Buyers
Are pin oak seedlings good for duck habitat?
Yes. Pin oak is a standard greentree reservoir species, and its small acorns are a favored fall and winter food for mallards and wood ducks.
Can pin oak grow in standing water?
Pin oak thrives on sites that flood during the dormant season and drain by the growing season, which is how greentree reservoirs are managed.
What zones are pin oak seedlings hardy in?
USDA zones 4 through 8. Look up your planting site in our USDA zone finder.
How fast do pin oak seedlings grow?
Pin oak is one of the faster-growing native oaks, which is part of why it is popular for both restoration and street planting.
When do pin oak seedlings ship?
Pin oak ships in November as dormant, bare root stock.
Can I get a quote for a large impoundment planting?
Yes. Send species and counts through our wholesale pricing request for a custom quote.
From Our Altamont Farm
Tennessee Wholesale Nursery is the wholesale division of TN Nursery, started by Roscoe Tate in 1959 and still family-run on 170 acres in Altamont, Tennessee. Our plants have gone to the Washington Monument grounds and Arlington National Cemetery. Pin oak seedlings are lifted dormant, their roots are treated with Terra-Sorb hydrogel, and each bundle is sealed to stay moist for up to 12 days in transit. Each shipment is covered by our Arrive Alive guarantee.