Specimen record

Northern Red Oak

Quercus rubra

Description

The fastest-growing oak in North America, northern red oak is a dominant canopy tree in the forests around St. Mark's School. It produces large acorns that take two years to mature, a hallmark of the red oak group. The leaves have pointed lobes tipped with tiny bristles, distinguishing it from white oak's rounded lobes. It is valued for its timber, its role in forest ecology, and its dependable russet-red fall color.

Identification tips

• 1Leaves with 7–11 pointed lobes, each tipped with a small bristle
• 2Sinuses cut less than halfway to the midrib (unlike pin oak or scarlet oak)
• 3Bark on mature trees develops broad, flat-topped ridges with 'ski trail' stripes
• 4Acorns large (2–3 cm) with a flat, saucer-shaped cap covering only the top
• 5Acorns take two years to mature (look for tiny first-year acorns and larger second-year ones)