northern red oak
Family
FagaceaeScientific Name
Quercus rubra
Other Common Names:
common red oak
mountain
red oak
eastern red oak
red oak
gray oak
Leaves
Leaves are deciduous,
alternate, elliptic, 10 inches 25 cm long and 8 inches 15 cm wide, divided less than halfway to midvein into 7-11
shallow wavy lobes with a few irregular bristletipped teeth, sinuses usually extending less than 1/2
distance to midrib, glabrous and dull green above, light dull green below with tufts of hairs in vein
angles.
Identifying Characteristics
Native trees
often reaching 20 to 30 m tall, less commonly up to 50
m; bark dark gray or black, shallowly furrowed into
broad hard scaly ridges, inner bark reddish to pink;
generally developing a strong taproot and network of
deep, spreading lateralsThe common name is in reference to the red fall
foliage color, red petioles, and reddish interior wood.
This is a different species from southern red oak
Flower Seed Head
Male and female flowers are borne in
separate catkins on the same tree (the species
monoecious), the staminate catkins in leaf axils of
the previous year's growth, the pistillate in 2 inches manyflowered
spikes in the leaf axils. Acorns maturing in
the second year, about 15-30 cm long, with a broad
usually shallow cup, borne singly or in clusters of 2-5.
Where Found
Northern red oak is widely distributed throughout
much of the eastern United States and southeastern
Canada. It grows from Quebec, Ontario, Nova
Scotia, and New Brunswick southward to
southwestern Georgia, Alabama, northern
Mississippi, northern Arkansas, and eastern
Oklahoma. Northern red oak extends westward
through Minnesota and Iowa, south through eastern
Nebraska and Kansas to eastern Oklahoma. It occurs
locally in eastern and southwestern Louisiana and
western Mississippi
Growth Habit
woody bush or tree
Thorns or Spines
not present
Approximate Flower Diameter
pencil
Dominant Flower Color
green
Flower Symmetry
not symmetrical
Leaf Hairs
no hairs
Leaf Shape
spatulate
Leaf Arrangement
alternate
Leaf Margin
serrated
Leaf Structure
simple
Leaf Stalk
shorter than leaf
Stem Hairs
Varies:
has hairs,
no hairs
Stem Cross Section
round or oval
Milky Sap
not present
Life Cycle
perennial
Ochrea
not present
Plant Type
Tree