Why Plant Shumard Oak?
Plant your legacy now. The Shumard Oak is a regal tree that will stand proudly in your landscape for generations to come. The oldest specimen ever found was 480 years old! Countless picnickers, tire-swingers, and shade-seekers of the future will be grateful for your wise and thoughtful choice today. But don’t think that you won’t get to enjoy your tree, too. Shumard Oak is a moderately fast-growing shade tree that puts on a dazzling show of red to russet-red fall color each year. The bark is also quite pretty—smooth and gray when young, with a reflective quality. The bark becomes more rough and rugged with age.
The Shumard Oak grows wild in the Southeast and in the Lower Midwest. It is closely related to Pin Oak and Scarlet Oak and can interbreed with them, making identification difficult. Shumard Oak grows in a variety of habitats, from bottomland soils that may be underwater for several weeks in spring to dry upland conditions. Growth is best in deep, rich soils with regular rainfall. The national champion resides in Clay City, Kentucky, and measures 136 feet tall and over 100 feet wide. Its trunk is more than 7 1/2 feet thick. The Shumard Oak was named after Benjamin Franklin Shumard, a 19th century physician and geologist who worked in Kentucky, Missouri, and Texas.
How to use Shumard Oak in the landscape?
Any wildlife-friendly garden situated on a large property ought to include native Oaks, and the Shumard Oak is a fine choice. Its large, striped acorns feed turkeys, quail, and other birds, along with deer, squirrels, and many other wild creatures. It takes a long time for a tree to begin bearing acorns, however—most don’t start until they’re around 25 years old. In the meantime, the foliage is excellent forage for tiny insects, which in turn feed many native songbirds.
Planting Zones
Hardiness Zone: 5-9
How To Plant Shumard Oak
Shumard Oak is an easygoing and adaptable shade tree that will tolerate many growing conditions—wet or dry soils, high or low pH, sandy or clay soils. The one thing it will not stand for is shade, so plant it where it will get sun all day long.
How To Water
Water weekly, or better yet, use the Bower & Branch® Water Element to deliver just the right amount of moisture to your tree throughout the growing season.
How To Fertilize
Incorporate Elements Starter Plant Food granular form into the soil when planting. If planting in spring or summer, start fertilizing late fall using Elements Starter Plant Food granular form on an annual basis each fall. Continue this for the first three years to get your plant well established.
How To Prune
Due to the risk of your tree contracting Oak wilt, a serious fungal disease, never prune Shumard Oak while it is actively growing. Prune only from December to February.
How Does Shipping Work?
Bower & Branch Trees, the real BIG trees, don’t fit in a box! Our big trees, sizes XL and bigger, require expert delivery and care, that means our extra-large trees are shipped on Bower & Branch trucks. We are the only ones who know how to ship our big and bigger trees and plants with tender loving care. We deliver your trees and plants directly to you. Ask Bower & Branch about planting services – we'd be happy to assist in installation.
*For Big trees and Shrubs, Size XL and bigger: Review our Seasonal Shipping Timelines and Policy here.
Your trees and plants are grown across the United States at various Bower & Branch Growers. Depending on your location, your plant orders may be shipped from various locations. Please expect orders with multiple items to be delivered over a number of days as a result. Orders made up of numerous items or selections will not arrive at your home on the same day.
Shipping Delays:
From time to time, Bower & Branch Growers may determine to delay order shipment based on various factors for plant health. Weather in your region, as well as, where your plants are grown, is always considered when shipping. Extreme weather conditions may delay some or all of your order. Bower & Branch allows our Growers to make final shipping decisions based solely to benefit your trees and plants’ health and success.
How Does Sizing Work?
The size of our trees have nothing to do with the container size like you may find elsewhere–big doesn't mean just height - it’s also vigor, age, and overall health. Other online retailers are going to tell you that a plant is a seven gallon, that means nothing to your tree or plant (or you.)
Our trees for sale online are graded on large, x-large, and even bigger sizes. This is because our trees are sized by their age—the higher the letter, the more mature the tree. The age determines the trees’ overall height, size of the trunk and the overall branch density.
All of these characteristics are what you should be looking for when choosing a tree for immediate impact and instant curb appeal. Our extra-large tree and plant sizes are sure to wow you and your neighbors!
See the size guides below.
