Expect your red oak to outlive you and your children. Their average life span is 200 to 300 years. Heights of 150 feet and diameters of 5 feet have been recorded, but red oaks average 60 to 90 feet in height with a diameter of 2 to 4 feet. The red oak tolerates a broad range of temperatures, soil conditions and annual rainfalls, preferring a moist, well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. While seedlings may grow only six inches in a year, established sprouts shoot up as much as three to six feet per year for the first few years.
Acorns require two years to mature.
Although acorns are produced each year, bumper crops occur at two to five-year intervals. It is only during these years of excessive harvest that enough of the fruit survive insect infestation, rodent damage or food consumption to become seedlings. Too bitter for human consumption, acorns provide food for squirrels, gray foxes, rabbits, white-tailed deer and black bears. High in fats and starches, they are an excellent high-energy food for wildlife. A variety of songbird and game bird species feast on the acorns as well.