Northern red oak - bark
bark of northern red oak with long vertical ski slopes
Northern red oak - female flowers
female flowers in the axils of the emerging leaves
Northern red oak - emerging leaves
the leaves often emerge with red pigment to protect them from the sun
Northern red oak - leaves
leaf blades thin with lobes that end in bristle tips
Northern red oak - fall leaves
fall color on northern red oaks can be variable

Plant Characteristics:

  • Tree: tall, quick growing tree to 90 ft with a straight trunk and rounded, narrow crown; conical when young, rounded at maturity
  • Bark: smooth and gray on young stems; on older trees, long vertical strips of smooth gray bark sit adjacent to fissures or sections of darker brown, rougher bark – look like long ski trails; cracks reveal darker reddish inner bark
  • Twigs: thick, red brown and smooth
  • Buds: large end buds, red-brown, cone shaped, with pale hairs on the margins of leaf scales and buds in clusters
  • Leaves: alternate; simple; oblong to 8 in with 7-11 sharply pointed and bristle tipped lobes; shallow V shaped sinuses extend less than halfway to the midrib; lobes are wider at the base
  • Fall Foliage: deep red
  • Flowers: species has separate male and female flowers on the same tree. Male flowers are yellow-green hanging in 2-4 in catkins; female flowers appear on short spikes in the axil (space between the leaf and stem)
  • Fruit type: a nearly round acorn, ¾ – 1 in, covered by a shallow cap that resembles a beret; acorns take two growing seasons to mature

Additional Details:

  • The northern red oak grows more rapidly than other northern oaks.
  • One of the more important lumber trees in the eastern U.S., commercially valuable as furniture, general construction, mine props and railroad ties.
  • Generally, contains more tannins than white oak.
  • The acorns, while not as tasty as the white oak acorns, provide food for squirrels, deer, and many other forms of wildlife.
  • Known as a desirable tree for planting along streets or real estate.

A member of the Red Oak group; part of the Beech Family.

References:
Brown, R. and M. Brown. 1972. Woody Plants of Maryland. Port City Press, Baltimore, MD.
Foster, S. and J. Duke. 1990. A field guide to medicinal plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, MA.
Grimm, W. C. and J. Kartesz. 2002. The Illustrated Book of Trees. Stackpole Books. Mechanicsburg, PA.
Harris, J. and M. Woolf Harris. 1994. Plant Identification Terminology: An illustrated Glossary. Spring Lake Publishing, Spring Lake, UT.
Peterson, L. 1977. A field guide to edible wild plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, MA.
Virginia Department of Forestry. 2022. Common Native Trees of Virginia – Tree Identification Guide.
The Wildflower Center Staff. 2023. Plant Database. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. The University of Texas at Austin.