Shumard oak (Quercus shumardii) is one of the largest southern red oaks. Other common names are spotted oak, Schneck oak, Shumard red oak, southern red oak, and swamp red oak. It is a lowland tree and grows scattered with other hardwoods on moist, well-drained soils associated with large and small streams. It grows moderately fast and produces acorns every 2 to 4 years that are used by wildlife for food. The wood is superior to most red oaks, but it is mixed indiscriminately with other red oak lumber and used for the same products. This tree makes a handsome shade tree.
1. The Silviculture of Shumard Oak
R. Merrilees, Illustrator
The acorns of Shumard oak serve as mast for numerous species of birds and mammals. In the Mohrs oak and Ashe juniper-redberry juniper types, Shumard oak acorns are probably an important source of food for the deer herd. Commercially, Shumard oak is marketed with other red oak lumber for flooring, furniture, interior trim, and cabinetry.
2. The Images of Shumard Oak
Forestryimages.org provides several images of parts of Shumard oak. The tree is a hardwood and the lineal taxonomy is Magnoliopsida > Fagales > Fagaceae > Quercus shumardii. Shumard oak is also commonly called spotted oak, Schneck oak, Shumard red oak, southern red oak, and swamp red oak.3. The Range of Shumard Oak
USFS
Shumard oak is found in the Atlantic Coastal Plain primarily from North Carolina to northern Florida and west to central Texas; it is also found north in the Mississippi River Valley to central Oklahoma, eastern Kansas, Missouri, southern Illinois, Indiana, western and southern Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. It is found locally north to southern Michigan, southern Pennsylvania, and Maryland.
4. Shumard Oak at Virginia Tech
Leaf: Alternate, simple, 4 to 7 inches long, 5 to 9 lobes with coarse bristle tips, sinuses extend more than halfway to midrib, shiny dark green above, pale green below.Twig: Moderately stout, grayish brown, glabrous, clustered terminal buds are 1/4 inch long, grayish brown, smooth or slightly fuzzy.
