Red Oak Seedlings

Northern red oak seedlings (Quercus rubra) are the fastest-growing major timber oak in the eastern hardwood forest. Red oak lumber leads the U.S. hardwood market for flooring and cabinetry, and the tree reaches merchantable size sooner than white oak while producing a dependable acorn crop for wildlife. Tennessee Wholesale Nursery sells wholesale red oak tree seedlings bare root in bundles of 100, 500 and 1,000 for reforestation crews, timber investors, DOT and municipal buyers, and hunting land managers.

Red Oak Specifications

Red Oak as a Timber Crop

Red oak combines fast height growth with straight, clear stems, which is why foresters rely on it in hardwood plantations and reforestation of cut-over and old-field land. The wood is strong, takes stain beautifully and goes into flooring, cabinets, furniture, millwork and railroad ties. Because it grows faster than most oaks, a red oak stand reaches pole and sawlog size on a shorter rotation, giving landowners an earlier return from thinnings and harvests.

Acorns That Last Into Winter

Red oak acorns take two seasons to ripen and carry more tannin than white oak acorns, so wildlife cache them and come back to them later. That makes red oak a late-season food source that keeps deer, turkey, squirrels, chipmunks and blue jays fed through winter, after white oak acorns are gone. Planting both groups together evens out year-to-year mast production on hunting property. Our wildlife mast planting blueprint explains how to mix oak species for steady acorn crops.

Shade and Street Plantings

Red oak is a favorite urban shade tree because it transplants well for an oak, grows quickly and adapts to the compacted soils of streets, parks and schoolyards. The rounded crown and red fall color make it a reliable pick for municipal, campus and commercial landscape contracts.

Which Grade to Order

• Row run 6-24 inch for large reforestation and timber blocks where cost per stem matters most.
• 6-12 inch for mechanical planting and nursery lining-out beds.
• 12-18 inch for food plot borders, landscape installs and specs that call for a taller stem.

How Many Red Oaks per Acre

Timber plantings commonly use 8 by 10 foot spacing, about 545 seedlings per acre, or 10 by 10 feet, about 435. Wildlife mast blocks can open up to 15 by 15 feet, about 195 per acre. Street trees are usually set 35 to 45 feet apart.

Good Partners for Red Oak

Mix red oak with white oak seedlings for balanced mast, sugar maple and tulip poplar for a productive upland hardwood stand, or black oak on drier slopes. See every species in our wholesale seedlings collection.

Red Oak Seedling FAQs

How fast do red oak seedlings grow?

Northern red oak is one of the fastest-growing oaks, often adding about 2 feet a year when young on good sites.

What zones are red oak seedlings hardy in?

Red oak grows in USDA zones 3 through 8. Most of the eastern United States falls within that range.

Is northern red oak the same as southern red oak?

No. Northern red oak is Quercus rubra; southern red oak is Quercus falcata, which we offer as southern red oak seedlings.

How many red oak seedlings per acre?

About 435 to 545 per acre at standard timber spacing of 10 by 10 or 8 by 10 feet.

When do red oak seedlings ship?

Red oak seedlings ship bare root and dormant in November.

Grown by a Family Nursery

Tennessee Wholesale Nursery is the wholesale division of TN Nursery, a family business Roscoe Tate founded in 1959. From our 170 acres in Altamont, Tennessee, we have supplied plants for the Washington Monument grounds. Every bundle is lifted dormant, root-treated with Terra-Sorb hydrogel and sealed to hold moisture for up to 12 days. Volume buyers can open a trade account.