Common Name of Plant: Northern Red Oak
Scientific Name of Plant: Quercus rubra

Average Height of Plant: 70 – 90 feet

Blooming Time: May

Ask the Botanist

What are the leaves like?

The alternate leaves have 7 to 9 coarsely-toothed lobes. The sinuses between the lobes extend half-way to the midrib. The leaves are dull green above and paler below. Each leaf is 5-9 inches long and 4-6 inches wide. The leaves are broader at the tip than at the base. In the fall the leaves turn deep red.

What type of flowers bloom on this plant? What do the seedpods or seeds look like?

The male flowers are grouped in slender catkins. The female flowers are located on small spikes and are difficult to see. Red oaks produce large, bitter acorns. These acorns are blunt-topped, flat at the base, and have a shallow, dark-brown cup. Each one is velvety inside.

What is unusual about the stem or trunk?

The bark is thick and gray or brown in color with deep vertical ridges and valleys.

How is this plant important to animals? Has it also been used by people?

Many animals depend on acorns for food. The wood is less valuable than that of the white oak because it tends to easily crack. The wood is used for construction and finish of houses. It can also be used for furniture or fuel.

What location does this plant prefer?

This is the dominant tree of the upland woods. It is found in forests with sugar maples and basswood trees as well as drier forests with white and black oaks. It is one of the faster-growing oaks and prefers deep, well-drained soils that are supplied with moisture. Red oaks grow throughout Wisconsin on sites with better soil. Red oak is intermediate in shade tolerance.

Pictures

Whole Plant
Fall color
/ Leaf

Buds
/ Flowers
Seeds

Photos by Darrin Kimbler
University of Wisconsin – Madison
Botany 402 Image Collection / Stem or Tree Bark