Northern Red Oak
Quercus rubra L.
Mature Size: 70 to 90 feet in height and 2 to 3 feet in diameter.
Form: Straight trunk and rounded, relatively narrow crown.
Habitat: Deep, well-drained, loamy soils and fertile coves; reaches best growth on north and east slopes.
Leaves
Alternate, simple, 5 to 8 inches long, with 7 to 11 sharply pointed and bristle- tipped lobes; fall color deep red.
Flowers
Males in yellow-green, slender, 2 to 4 inch hanging catkins; females on short spikes; both appearing with the leaves in spring.
Fruit
¾ to 1 inch, nearly round acorn, covered ¼ or less by a shallow cap resembling a beret; acorns mature in two seasons.
Bark
On young stems, smooth and gray; on older trees, thick and broken by shallow fissures into regular, flat, smooth-surfaced plates or flat ridges, resembling ski trails.
Twigs
Thick, red-brown and smooth; end buds large, cone-shaped, red-brown, in clusters.
Values and Uses
The wood is hard, strong, coarse-grained, with light reddish-brown heartwood and thin, light-colored sapwood. It is used for paneling, furniture, cabinets and flooring. The acorns provide food for many mammals and birds. The tree's symmetrical shape and fall color make it a desirable landscape tree.
Did You Know?
Northern red oak is one of the most important timber trees in the eastern United States.
