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Oak

Quercus spp.

Oak is a vegetable in the Fagaceae family. It grows best in full sun with low to medium moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 3-9.

Varieties

1 · sorted by days to maturity
  • Oak

    PROPAGATION CATEGORY: Shade tree (seed) (not in original seed catalog). Use: Long-lived shade and major wildlife tree.

    Oak (Quercus) is a group of large, long-lived shade trees that are keystone wildlife plants, supporting more species than almost any other tree; grown from acorns.

    Growing notes: Botanical name: Quercus spp.|Hardiness zones: 3-9|Propagation: seed (acorn)|Light: Full sun|Water: Low to medium|Mature size: 40-80 feet

Family
Fagaceae
Category
Vegetable
Form
Shrub
Lifecycle
perennial
Zone
3-9
Height
40–80 ft
Spread
40–80 ft
Sun
Full sun
Water
Low to medium

Plan your oak planting

Add oak to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.

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At a glance

Frost tolerance
Hardy · to ~-40°F
Lowest temperature the foliage usually survives

Storing & preserving

Most keep best refrigerated; storage crops prefer a cool, dry spot.

  • Freeze: Blanch briefly, cool, then freeze — keeps color and texture.
  • Can: Pressure-can low-acid vegetables; water-bath only pickled/acidified ones.

General home-preservation guidance — for tested processing times and safety, follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Growing timeline

Propagation
Seed
Schedule anchor
Last Frost

Care & troubleshooting

No curated care & troubleshooting advice for oak yet. Our extension-sourced library currently focuses on common edible crops; we're expanding it over time.