Texas Red Oak
Quercus buckleyi
Family: Fagaceae
OTHER COMMON NAMES
Buckley oak, Texas oak, Spanish oak, spotted oak, rock oak
CHARACTERISTICS
In our region, usually a small to medium-sized, deciduous tree to 30’. Has the potential to get to 50’ tall. Reddish to purple fall color. Inconspicuous flowers in spring become acorns. Unlike many of our native Arizona species of oaks, this species grows very upright and is often single-trunked.
Quercus buckleyi leaves are similar to those of Q. texana, but the two species do not overlap in their distributions.
LANDSCAPE USE
Medium-sized shade tree, street tree.
GROWING CONDITIONS
AN EXPLANAITION OF TERMS USED
SUN part to full sun
WATER moderate water
SOIL provide good drainage, amendment
HARDINESS hardy to -10°F
BASIN middle
CONTAINER does ok in container
NUTRITION moderate
MAINTENANCE very little
Photo by Noelle M. Brooks, iNaturalist
Quercus buckleyi on Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
ECOLOGY
Flowers in spring with inconspicuous, wind-pollinated flowers. Acorns ripen in fall. Oaks are wildlife keystone species hosting a mind-boggling number of insects. This brings in a vast array of substrate-insectivorous birds (birds that spend their time on these trees eating the insects). The acorns are important food for many birds and mammals (and some species eaten by people). The trees also provide important habitat for many birds and mammals. Almost all the oaks host a multitude of moths and butterflies including the following species:
Mexican-M Hairstreak (Parrhasius moctezuma)
Arizona Sister (Adelpha eulalia)
Short-tailed Skipper (Zestusa dorus)
Arizona Dull Firetip (Apyrrothrix araxes ssp. arizonae)
Burgess’s Sleepy Duskywing (Erynnis brizo ssp. burgessi)
Clitus Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis ssp. clitus)
Meridian duskywing (Erynnis meridianus ssp. meridianus)
Scudder's Duskywing (Erynnis scudderi)
Mournful Duskywing (Erynnis tristis)
Oaks also host a diversity of insects that cause growths called “galls”. Galls are protective nests for the larvae of various insects (mostly tiny stingless wasps) to develop protected from pests. The have a diversity of shapes from giant ball-like growths, to small growths, on leaves or young stems. These galls do not harm healthy trees. Emory oaks that grow in riparian zones and get really tall are a favorite nesting site for owls and other raptors.
Oaks attract numerous other insects which, in turn, attracts canopy-gleaning birds.
ETHNOBOTANY
Unknown. The acorns are probably edible after much leaching.
NATURAL DISTRIBUTION
From south-central Texas to north-central Oklahoma.
TAXONOMY AND NAME
This plant is in the family Fagaceae, the beech family. There are 627 accepted species in the genus Quercus widely distributed in the northern hemisphere.
This plant was once called Quercus texana, but another similar species got that name (a plant formerly called Quercus texana, commonly known as Nuttall's oak).
The genus "Quercus" is from Latin, meaning "oak". This species was named for Samuel B. Buckley, botanist and state geologist of Texas. The species, buckleyi, is named for Samuel B. Buckley (1809-1884), a botanist and geologist from Texas.
Foliage detail, photo by Bob O'Kennon, iNaturalist
New foliage emerging with the tassel-like flowers in spring. Photo by lanechaffin, iNaturalist
Developing acorns. Photo by Brandt Magic, iNaturalist
Texas red oaks can get substantially large with time. Photo by alexv03, iNaturalist