Quercus rubra L.
Northern red oak, champion oak, red oak
Northern red oak is a common native of eastern North America. This robust hardwood is often used for furniture-making, along with white oak. White oak has finer pores than red oak. Both are durable, strong woods, with good dimensional stability.
See the Quercus comparison table.
Plants: Trees reach 90′ (27 m), exceptionally 165′ (50 m). Trunks are usually 1½–3′ (50–101 cm) around, but they can reach 6′ (1.8 m). Ridges on bark appear to have shiny stripes down the center.
Leaves: 5–8″ (12–20 cm) long. While leaves of white oak typically have rounded edges, red oak leaves have 7-11 lobes with sharp tips. Leaves are shiny and very durable, remaining intact through the winter.
Flowers: Trees are monoecious: male and femaile flowers appear on the same tree. Staminate (male) flowers are drooping yellow-green cylindrical catkins, 2–4 ⨉ ⅛″ (5–10 cm ⨉ 3.2 mm) in size. Usually there are three catkins per group. Pistillate (female) flowers are ⅛″ (3.2 mm) in size, and ovoid. Both types of flowers are inconspicuous.
Fruits: Acorns are ¾–1″ (1.9–2.5 cm) long, with shallow caps that cover about a fifth of the nut.
Habitats: Mesic slopes and well-drained uplands, lower and middle slopes, coves, ravines, or valley floors.
Online References:
References:
8/11/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 10 × 7″ (26 × 18 cm) 
9/15/2010 · Red Dot Trail, Long Lake Park, Littleton, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 9″ (15 × 23 cm) 
ID is uncertain 
8/1/2015 · Andres Art Institute, Big Bear Mountain · ≈ 13 × 10″ (32 × 25 cm) 
6/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 1 × 2′ (41 × 62 cm) 
9/2/2017 · Rocky Ridge Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire · ≈ 3 × 3½″ (8.5 × 9.2 cm) 
8/24/2013 · Cranberry Meadow Pond Trail, Monadnock Conservancy, Peterborough, New Hampshire · ≈ 5 × 6″ (12 × 15 cm) ID is uncertain 
8/24/2023 · Morse Mountain, Phippsburg, Maine · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm) 
4/24/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (11 × 17 cm) 
9/15/2010 · Red Dot Trail, Long Lake Park, Littleton, Massachusetts · ≈ 7 × 11″ (18 × 27 cm) ID is uncertain 
9/2/2017 · Rocky Ridge Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire · ≈ 2 × 1¾″ (5.9 × 5 cm) 
8/24/2023 · Morse Mountain, Phippsburg, Maine · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm) 
9/12/2016 · Worcester Road Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire 
9/15/2010 · Red Dot Trail, Long Lake Park, Littleton, Massachusetts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (23 × 15 cm) ID is uncertain 
9/12/2016 · Worcester Road Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire 
5/16/2016 · Oak Hill, Littleton, Massachusetts 
8/14/2013 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire · ≈ 2½ × 1½′ (79 × 53 cm) 
5/27/2010 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts ID is uncertain 
5/16/2016 · Oak Hill, Littleton, Massachusetts 
11/6/2011 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 2 × 1½″ (5.9 × 3.9 cm) 
9/15/2010 · Red Dot Trail, Long Lake Park, Littleton, Massachusetts · ≈ 7 × 11″ (18 × 27 cm) ID is uncertain 
11/15/2011 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Rosidae | Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more |
| Order | Fagales | Birch, she-oak, beech, walnut, bayberry, others |
| Family | Fagaceae | Beech familhy |
| Genus | Quercus | Latin for “oak” |
| Species | rubra | “Red” |
Quercus rubra description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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