January’s Native Maryland Plant
Quercus falcata Michx.
(KWER-kus fal-KAY-tuh)
Common Name: Southern Red Oak
Most New Year’s begin with merriment, anticipation and oftentimes resolutions. I generally don’t make resolutions, but this year is different. In December of 2023 I attended Doug Tallamy’s talk, ‘Nature’s Best Hope’ based on his book of the same name; it was the 3rd time I’d heard this talk, but I’m an avid fan of Tallamy - I’m always invigorated after hearing him speak and on this occasion, I was anxious to have him sign my copy of his latest book, ‘The Nature of Oaks’. He didn’t disappoint and I left the venue very resolute – in 2024 I will plant more oaks.
As a naturalist, I believe the primary role of the plants in my yard is to support a diversity of life. Since oaks are keystone species¹, they have pride of place. They are the first genus I consider when an opening becomes available on my property and they’re the first tree I recommend when helping others. There is an oak for any site condition, and oaks are easily found at nurseries. Throughout history, “The uses of oak include almost everything that mankind has ever derived from trees - timber, food for man and animals, fuel, watershed protection, shade and beauty, tannin, and extractives.” ²
Of the six species of oak on my property, the Southern Red Oak is the one that still has most of its leaves in January. In spring the petioles will push new growth and the leaves will drop – if a strong wind doesn’t take them first.
This tree has a range that extends north to Long Island, NY, south to Florida and west to Texas. It commonly grows where the climate is humid and temperate e.g. hot summers, mild and short winters. It’s easily identified by its shiny, bell-shaped, bristle tipped leaves which turn brown in winter; interestingly, it has a much shorter lifespan (~150 years) than the white oak saplings that are growing near it.
For those of you who missed it, the USDA Hardiness Zone Map was updated on November 15, 2023.³ The zones (ranges of 10∘ F) represent what’s known as the “average annual extreme minimum temperature” at a given location during the past 30 years and are used by gardeners and growers of perennial plants. The new map shows that about half of the country shifted to the next warmer half zone – this includes Maryland where much of Anne Arundel County is now Zone 8a – including my neighborhood.
The new map will not directly impact the Quercus falcata in my yard, nor will it discourage me from planting more native plants. However, warmer winters do mean that this plant and many others’ ranges are slowly creeping north; rising temperatures will mean more periods of drought and an increase in invasive species that I will need to monitor – both plant and animal. Oaks are resilient plants that symbolize wisdom and endurance. With a bit of research, I will choose the next species to add to my property – likely one in the red oak group, at this point I’m thinking Quercus marilandica would be a fine addition.
As you’re making your list of what to plant this spring, keep in mind, “a yard without oaks is a yard meeting only a fraction of its life-support potential”. ⁴ I hope you’ll also be resolute and plant an oak.
¹ a species on which other species in an ecosystem largely depend, such that if it were removed, the ecosystem would change drastically.
² U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook
³ https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/
⁴ Doug Tallamy, The Nature of Oaks
Alison Milligan – MG/MN 2013
Watershed Steward Class 7/Anne Arundel Tree Trooper
Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP)