She Oak is a tree, a long-term addition to the landscape. It's hardy across USDA zones 9 through 12 and shrugs off deer. A nitrogen-fixer, it draws nitrogen from the air and feeds it back to the soil — turn it under or leave the roots in place, and the next planting inherits a richer bed.
She Oak — the short answer
She Oak: grown in zones 9–12, full sun, pH 4–8.5.
- USDA zones
- 9–12
- Hardy to zone 9 — Cal Poly SelecTree.
- Soil pH
- 4–8.5
- FAO ECOCROP
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score She Oak on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether she oak actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score she oak against your land's real conditions.
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What She Oak is
She Oak grows as a perennial and reaches around 70 feet at maturity. It blooms red in mid spring. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow She Oak
She Oak grows in USDA zones 9 through 12. She Oak does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 4 to 8.5, on evenly moist to well-drained ground.
USDA Zones
9-12
Rated hardy to zone 9 by Cal Poly SelecTree, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: our plant database.
Soil pH
4 - 8.5
FAO ECOCROP
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
poorly (saturated >50% of year), well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Minimum Growing Temperature
50°F
Below this it stops growing rather than dies — a pace limit, not a survival limit.
FAO ECOCROP
Mature Height
70 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Plant it right
Set she oak in full sun with evenly moist to well-drained soil.
Match the soil
She Oak prefers pH 4 to 8.5 (FAO ECOCROP). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band. It fixes its own nitrogen, so skip the high-nitrogen feed and instead dust the seed with a matching rhizobium inoculant at sowing.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Shape it while it is young
Prune she oak only to remove dead, damaged or crossing branches while it is young; it is grown for its form, not a harvest, so little more is needed once it settles in.
Where She Oak thrives
She Oak is hardy across USDA zones 9 through 12. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 9–12 spans average winter lows from 20°F to 60°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers none outright but splits 17 down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 9–12·Where She Oak growsOpen map →
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Where She Oak stands, state by state
She Oak is rated for zones 9–12 — a cold floor USDA puts at 20 to 30°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 0 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 17 more, and 34 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
The line runs through
17 states
- Alaska · zones 1a-9a
- California · zones 4b-11a
- Nevada · zones 4a-10a
3 of 17 shown
She Oak’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around She Oak
Growing guides for she oak
Good to know
She Oak isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data — pair it with high-value bloomers nearby to feed bees.
Your land is one point inside She Oak's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if She Oak will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether she oak actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
How we know this about She Oak
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow She Oak in my zone?
She Oak grows in USDA hardiness zones 9 through 12 (Rated hardy to zone 9 by Cal Poly SelecTree, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: our plant database.). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant She Oak?
Set she oak out in early spring or fall while it's dormant, so the roots establish before the heat of summer. Your local last-frost date — which a Growable Ground report pulls for your exact address — sets the precise window.
How much sun does She Oak need?
She Oak needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does She Oak need?
She Oak prefers soil pH 4 to 8.5, on evenly moist to well-drained ground (FAO ECOCROP). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does She Oak attract pollinators?
She Oak isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data. Pairing it with high-value bloomers nearby keeps bees and butterflies fed.
Keep exploring She Oak
She Oak state by state
Every state she oak's zone reaches — 2 link straight to that state's she oak growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.