Kentucky has about twenty different oaks that are native to the state, together often dominating the forests. You could spend all day admiring these mighty, handsome trees and their individual unique beauty.
The soils and planting zones in Kentucky are perfect for growing oaks. Whether they prefer moist soils in bottomlands and riparian areas or drier upland soils, they thrive there naturally. And, when grown ornamentally, they require no fussy maintenance to keep them healthy.
Let’s look at eight unique and gorgeous oaks you can grow or admire in Kentucky.
8 Oak Trees That Grow Well in Kentucky
Red Oaks to Grow or Admire in Kentucky
1. Red Oak – Quercus rubra
Red Oak is one of the most common oak trees in the eastern half of the USA. They are native throughout Kentucky, growing in moist woods, valleys, and north-facing mountain slopes, but can also be found in drier habitats.
These trees grow best in full sun in moderately acidic, average soils with medium moisture. They are highly tolerant of winds, urban conditions, and moderate droughts.
Red Oak is also a popular landscape choice in KY because it’s fast-growing, transplants well, and is so well adapted to the climate that it can be grown with little to no maintenance after establishment.
These large trees have a dense canopy of large, 7 – 11-lobed leaves with pointy lobe tips, typical for the Red Oak Group. The leaves cast rich shade in summer months; in the fall, they turn red, reddish-orange, or reddish-brown.
You can also learn how to identify Red Oak.
Other Common Names: Common Red Oak, Eastern Red Oak, Mountain Red Oak, Gray Oak
USDA Growing Zones: 5 – 9
Average Size at Maturity: 50 – 70 ft (to 90 ft) tall, 40 – 60 ft spread
Flowering / Fruiting Season: Inconspicuous flowers bloom from May to June; acorns mature from September to October
Available at: Fast-Growing-Trees & Nature Hills
2. Shingle Oak – Quercus imbricaria
Shingle Oaks are native to most of Kentucky, excluding only the eastern edge, where they like to grow in rich woods, bottomlands, riparian areas, and drier upland forests and slopes.
These trees grow best in full sun or partial shade in moist, rich soil, but they also tolerate salt, alkaline, wet, or dry soils.
Shingle Oaks are large trees with broadly spreading crowns and atypical oak leaves that are unlobed, laurel-like, with bright green upper surfaces and downy undersides. Their leaves often turn vibrant red in the fall before turning brown and often remain on the tree all winter to fall off in the spring just before leaf emergence.
Their small, rounded acorns turn a very dark brown when they are mature, adding additional interest in the fall. While they are too small and bitter to eat, the birds love them!
Other Common Names: Jack Oak, Laurel Oak, Northern Laurel Oak, Small-Leaved Oak
USDA Growing Zones: 4 – 8
Average Size at Maturity: 50 – 60 ft (to 100 ft) tall, 50 – 60 ft spread
Flowering / Fruiting Season: Inconspicuous flowers emerge from April to June; acorns mature in the fall of the second year (two-year cycle)
Available at: Nature Hills
3. Pin Oak – Quercus palustris
Pin Oak is another widespread native tree in Kentucky where it grows naturally in full sun in mildly acidic, well-drained loam, sandy loam, or clay soils in moist valley bottoms or moist uplands. They will also grow in poorly drained soils and tolerate occasional flooding.
These are important wildlife oak trees in Kentucky forests where their acorns feed numerous wildlife species, and the tree is host to over 150 native insects.
The Pin Oak is also popular in landscaping as a fast-growing shade tree for its uniform shape and easy growing conditions.
Its classically lobed oak leaves turn lovely shades of red and orange for great fall color. Their leaves then turn brown and typically remain on the tree until spring.
Its name comes from the small, stiff, sharp, pin-like new twigs that grow along their branches.
For more information, check out how to identify Pin Oak.
Other Common Names: Swamp Oak, Water Oak, Swamp Spanish Oak
USDA Growing Zones: 4 – 8
Average Size at Maturity: 60 – 80 ft (to 100 ft) tall, 40 – 60 ft spread
Flowering / Fruiting Season: Inconspicuous flowers emerge just after the leaves from April to May; acorns mature in the fall of the following year (two-year cycle)
Available at: Fast-Growing-Trees & Nature Hills
4. Willow Oak – Quercus phellos
Willow Oak is another oak with atypical leaves that are quite thin and look much more like the leaves on a willow tree.
These trees are also native to Kentucky, throughout the southern half of the state, where they grow mostly along riparian areas in moist, alluvial soils.
Willow Oaks perform best in moist, well-drained, acidic soil. It will do poorly in alkaline soils, but that should not be a problem in most of KY with its beautiful forest soils.
Once established, these trees are somewhat drought-tolerant and adapt well to urban environments, so they are often used as street trees or borders along busy highways.
They are also popular landscape trees because they have fibrous roots and transplant better than most oaks, and they produce fewer, smaller acorns, requiring less maintenance as a street tree than other oaks.
Check out how to identify Willow Oak in its native habitat.
Other Common Names: Peach Oak, Pin Oak, Swamp Chestnut Oak
USDA Growing Zones: 6 – 9
Average Size at Maturity: 40 – 60 ft (to 100 ft) tall, 30 – 40 ft spread
Flowering / Fruiting Season: Inconspicuous flowers bloom from March to April; acorns mature in the fall of the second year (two-year cycle)
Available at: Fast-Growing-Trees & Nature Hills
5. Black Oak – Quercus velutina
Black Oak is also native throughout Kentucky, where it often grows in drier upland forests in full sun in well-drained, slightly acidic soil.
These highly adaptable trees will grow much taller in moist, rich soils or remain medium-sized trees in areas with drier, poorer-quality soils. They may develop chlorosis in alkaline soils but should do well in KY soils.
Black Oak is a lovely tree with gorgeous leaves contrasting nicely with its dark gray-black bark. The leaves emerge velvety red in spring, becoming light glossy green, before turning dark glossy green in the summer with lighter undersides. Finally, in the fall, they turn a deep orange or red.
These would make lovely border, street, or specimen trees, but be sure to plant them young in a permanent location since the deep taproot makes transplanting difficult.
For more information, check out how to identify Black Oak in its native habitat.
Other Common Names: Yellow Oak, Quercitron Oak, Yellow-Bark Oak, Smooth-Bark Oak
USDA Growing Zones: 3 – 9
Average Size at Maturity: 50 – 60 ft (to 130 ft) tall, 50 – 60 ft spread
Flowering / Fruiting Season: Inconspicuous flowers emerge before or with the leaves in April or May; acorns mature from late August to October the following year (two-year cycle)
Available at: Nature Hills
White Oaks to Grow or Admire in Kentucky
6. White Oak – Quercus alba
White Oak is native all over Kentucky; it’s a major component of forests by volume and is critical to the wildlife within those forests. Sadly, their regeneration has been declining in KY, but joint efforts are underway to slow it.
These trees grow in sandy plains, gravelly ridges, rich uplands, and well-drained loamy soils. They grow best in full sun in medium-moist, acidic soil but will also tolerate drier, shallower soils, but growth will be poorer.
White Oaks are also popular landscape trees for their big, spreading canopies of beautiful rounded-lobed leaves that make great shade trees and turn a lovely deep crimson red in fall.
The large acorns that wildlife love so much are less bitter than most, and people sometimes eat them raw, boiled, or dried and ground into flour.
You can also learn how to identify the White Oak in its native environment.
Other Common Names: American White Oak, Northern White Oak, Eastern White Oak, Forked-Leaf White Oak, Quebec Oak
USDA Growing Zones: 3 – 9
Average Size at Maturity: 50 – 80 ft tall, 50 – 80 ft spread
Flowering / Fruiting Season: Inconspicuous flowers appear between April and May; acorns mature in late summer to early fall
Available at: Fast-Growing-Trees & Nature Hills
7. Chinkapin Oak – Quercus muehlenbergii
Chinkapin Oak is another native Kentucky oak with unique leaves; they are leathery, glossy green, and coarsely toothed, strikingly resembling the leaves of the Ozark Chinkapin Chestnut tree.
These trees grow naturally on dry bluffs, ridges, and rocky south-facing slopes in any soil type, even slightly alkaline, provided it is well-drained.
Chinkapin Oaks have great heat, drought, and cold tolerance and will grow in any soil type. Depending on available moisture and nutrients, they may remain as a large shrub or become a large tree.
While not often used in landscaping, Chinkapin Oak is a gorgeous, hardy, native tree worth considering for its beauty, tolerance, and low maintenance.
You can also learn how to identify the Chinkapin Oak in its natural environment.
Other Common Names: Chinquapin Oak
USDA Growing Zones: 3 – 9
Average Size at Maturity: 40 – 60 ft (10 to 100 ft) tall, 40 – 70 ft spread
Flowering / Fruiting Season: Inconspicuous flowers emerge between April and early June; acorns mature in September of the same year
Available at: Nature Hills
8. Bur Oak – Quercus macrocarpa
Bur Oak is a big, mighty oak native to the western ¾ of Kentucky, growing in open woods, riparian areas, and sandy or rocky ridges in various acidic to alkaline, well-drained to very moist but not flooded soils. They are not picky about soil pH, type, or moisture but prefer locations with full sun.
These lovely oaks have big, spreading crowns made of contorted branches with large, rounded, and deeply lobed leaves that make for great shade trees as long as there is room for these long-lived trees to grow.
While it prefers moderate moisture, it does have some drought tolerance once established and is more tolerant of urban conditions than most oaks.
Their big acorns, with their attractive bur-like cupules, are much sweeter than most oaks and can be eaten fresh, roasted, or boiled.
For more information, learn how to identify the Bur Oak in its native habitat.
Other Common Names: Burr Oak, Mossycup Oak, Prairie Oak, Savanna Oak, Overcup Oak, Blue Oak
USDA Growing Zones: 3 – 9
Average Size at Maturity: 60 – 80 ft tall, 60 – 80 ft spread
Flowering / Fruiting Season: Inconspicuous flowers bloom in April or May; acorns mature in October
Available at: Nature Hills
Table Comparing Oak trees in Kentucky
Here is a detailed table comparing Oak trees in Kentucky and outlining their unique characteristics, USDA growing zones, average sizes at maturity, and flowering details.
| Oak Tree Variety | Key Features | USDA Growing Zones | Average Size at Maturity | Flowering / Fruiting Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Oak (Quercus rubra) | Common in eastern USA, tolerant of winds and moderate droughts, fast-growing, large leaves turning red in fall | 5 – 9 | 50 – 70 ft (up to 90 ft) tall, 40 – 60 ft spread | Flowers May to June; acorns Sep-Oct |
| Shingle Oak (Quercus imbricaria) | Native to most of KY, unlobed laurel-like leaves, tolerates various soil conditions, vibrant red fall color | 4 – 8 | 50 – 60 ft (up to 100 ft) tall, 50 – 60 ft spread | Flowers Apr-Jun; acorns in the fall (two-year cycle) |
| Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) | Widely distributed, grows in moist soils, important wildlife tree, uniform shape, leaves turn red/orange in fall | 4 – 8 | 60 – 80 ft (up to 100 ft) tall, 40 – 60 ft spread | Flowers Apr-May; acorns in fall (two-year cycle) |
| Willow Oak (Quercus phellos) | Thin willow-like leaves, grows along riparian areas, adapts well to urban environments, fibrous roots, fewer acorns | 6 – 9 | 40 – 60 ft (up to 100 ft) tall, 30 – 40 ft spread | Flowers Mar-Apr; acorns in fall (two-year cycle) |
| Black Oak (Quercus velutina) | Grows in drier upland forests, adaptable, dark gray-black bark, leaves turn deep orange or red in fall | 3 – 9 | 50 – 60 ft (up to 130 ft) tall, 50 – 60 ft spread | Flowers Apr-May; acorns Aug-Oct (two-year cycle) |
| White Oak (Quercus alba) | Widespread native, critical for wildlife, grows in various soils, spreading canopy, deep crimson red leaves in fall | 3 – 9 | 50 – 80 ft tall, 50 – 80 ft spread | Flowers Apr-May; acorns late summer to early fall |
| Chinkapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii) | Unique chestnut-like leaves, grows on dry bluffs and ridges, heat and drought tolerant, adaptable to soil types | 3 – 9 | 40 – 60 ft (up to 100 ft) tall, 40 – 70 ft spread | Flowers Apr-Jun; acorns in Sep |
| Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) | Grows in open woods and ridges, large spreading crown, deeply lobed leaves, sweet acorns, drought tolerant once established | 3 – 9 | 60 – 80 ft tall, 60 – 80 ft spread | Flowers Apr-May; acorns in Oct, large crop every 2-6 years |
Can You Grow Live Oaks in Kentucky?
Live Oaks are heat-loving trees that can handle some cold, but they do not handle frost or cold roots well. The more cold-hardy Texas Live Oak would grow better in Kentucky. In a protected location in the southwestern corner of Kentucky, you might grow a Southern Live Oak, but not well.
Oak Trees Really Thrive in Kentucky
Kentucky is lucky to have so many different mighty oaks in one state!
With its temperate climate and high-quality soils, most oak trees will thrive anywhere in KY, with the exception of most live oaks that are not cold-hardy. Otherwise, the options are nearly limitless! With so many already native, you should have no trouble finding one that will work in your yard.
All you need to do is read up on your chosen trees’ preferred local soil, water, and light requirement to ensure you pick the right tree for your yard.
I hope you have enjoyed learning more about the lovely oak trees that you can grow or admire in Kentucky. Happy tree-hunting!
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