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Quercus rubra L.

Northern red oak, champion oak, red oak

KingdomPlantaePlants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
SubkingdomTracheobiontaVascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
DivisionMagnoliophytaFlowering plants, also known as angiosperms
ClassMagnoliopsidaDicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
SubclassRosidaeRoses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
OrderFagalesBirch, she-oak, beech, walnut, bayberry, others
FamilyFagaceaeBeech familhy
GenusQuercusLatin for “oak”
Speciesrubra“Red”

About plant names...

Northern red oak is a common native of eastern North America.

Identification: Trees reach 90' (27 m), exceptionally 165' (50 m). Trunks are usually 20-40" (50-101 cm) around, but they can reach 6' (1.8 m). Leaves are 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. Acorns are about 1" (2.5 cm) long, with shallow caps that cover about a fifth of the nut. See the Quercus comparison table.

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.

Quercus rubra (northern red oak, champion oak, red oak)

Online References:

Quercus rubra on www.carolinanature.com

Quercus rubra at Illinois Wildflowers

Quercus rubra at the Ohio State University PLANTFacts database

Quercus rubra on Wikipedia

Quercus rubra on plantdatabase.uconn.edu

Quercus rubra at the USDA Forest Service's Silvics of North America site

Quercus rubra on floridata.com

Quercus rubra at the Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation

Quercus rubra on Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants

Quercus rubra at the University of Florida Environmental Horticulture site

Quercus rubra on the USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database

Quercus rubra on eFloras

References:

Sibley, David Allen, The Sibley Guide to Trees, Alfred A. Knopf, 2009, p. 184

Quercus rubra (northern red oak, champion oak, red oak)

11/6/2011 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 9 × 6" (23 × 15 cm)

Quercus rubra (northern red oak, champion oak, red oak)

9/2/2017 · Rocky Ridge Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hamp­shire
≈ 2½ × 2½" (7.1 × 6.6 cm)

Quercus rubra (northern red oak, champion oak, red oak)

8/17/2016 · Cider Mill Pond Trail, Hollis, Mass­a­chu­setts

Quercus rubra (northern red oak, champion oak, red oak)

8/11/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 10 × 7" (26 × 18 cm)

Quercus rubra (northern red oak, champion oak, red oak)

9/15/2010 · Red Dot Trail, Long Lake Park, Littleton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 6 × 9" (15 × 23 cm) ID is uncertain

Quercus rubra (northern red oak, champion oak, red oak)

6/30/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 11 × 9" (28 × 23 cm)

Quercus rubra (northern red oak, champion oak, red oak)

6/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 16 × 24" (41 × 62 cm)

Quercus rubra (northern red oak, champion oak, red oak)

8/14/2013 · Beaver Brook Assn Conservation Lands, Rte. 130, Hollis, New Hamp­shire
≈ 4 × 2½' (1.2 × 0.8 m)

Quercus rubra (northern red oak, champion oak, red oak)

9/2/2017 · Rocky Ridge Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hamp­shire
≈ 3 × 3½" (8.5 × 9.2 cm)

Quercus rubra (northern red oak, champion oak, red oak)

8/24/2013 · Cranberry Meadow Pond Trail, Monadnock Conservancy, Peterborough, New Hamp­shire
≈ 5 × 6" (12 × 15 cm) ID is uncertain

 

Quercus rubra description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

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Quercus rubra (northern red oak, champion oak, red oak)

4/24/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 4½ × 7" (11 × 17 cm)

Quercus rubra (northern red oak, champion oak, red oak)

9/15/2010 · Red Dot Trail, Long Lake Park, Littleton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 7 × 11" (18 × 27 cm) ID is uncertain

Quercus rubra (northern red oak, champion oak, red oak)

9/2/2017 · Rocky Ridge Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hamp­shire
≈ 2 × 1¾" (5.9 × 5 cm)

Quercus rubra (northern red oak, champion oak, red oak)

9/12/2016 · Worcester Road Trail, Beaver Bro, Hollis, New Hamp­shire

Quercus rubra (northern red oak, champion oak, red oak)

9/15/2010 · Red Dot Trail, Long Lake Park, Littleton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 9 × 6" (23 × 15 cm) ID is uncertain

Quercus rubra (northern red oak, champion oak, red oak)

9/12/2016 · Worcester Road Trail, Beaver Bro, Hollis, New Hamp­shire

Quercus rubra (northern red oak, champion oak, red oak)

5/16/2016 · Oak Hill, Littleton, Mass­a­chu­setts

Quercus rubra (northern red oak, champion oak, red oak)

8/14/2013 · Beaver Brook Assn Conservation Lands, Rte. 130, Hollis, New Hamp­shire
≈ 31 × 21" (79 × 53 cm)

Quercus rubra (northern red oak, champion oak, red oak)

1/19/2021 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts ID is uncertain

Quercus rubra (northern red oak, champion oak, red oak)

5/16/2016 · Oak Hill, Littleton, Mass­a­chu­setts

Quercus rubra (northern red oak, champion oak, red oak)

11/6/2011 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 2 × 1½" (5.9 × 3.9 cm)

Quercus rubra (northern red oak, champion oak, red oak)

9/15/2010 · Red Dot Trail, Long Lake Park, Littleton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 7 × 11" (18 × 27 cm) ID is uncertain

Quercus rubra (northern red oak, champion oak, red oak)

11/15/2011 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 6 × 4" (15 × 10 cm)

Range:

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