Description
The Red Oak is usually 20 to 30 metres tall, with a thick trunk sometimes more than 120 centimetres in diameter and it can live to over 150 years.
Its leaves are dark green and are 10 to 20 centimetres long. They have sharp, pointed lobes (usually 7 to 9) with bristly tips. This distinguishes them from White Oaks whose leaves have rounded lobes.
Acorns from the Red Oak are 2 to 3 centimetres long and are round with a scaly cap that covers less than ¼ of the acorn. The bark is smooth and dark gray when the tree is young, but deep ridges develop as the tree gets older.
The red oak needs room to grow — it can tolerate shade when it’s younger, but needs full sun as it gets older. It doesn’t grow very well if it’s close to other trees.
| Red Oak Facts and Features | |
| Mature Size | Large Height 20 - 30 metres tall (60 - 90 ft.) by up to 120 cm (4 feet) in diameter |
| Sun/Shade | Prefers full sun, but can tolerate some shade |
| Moisture | Can tolerate a variety of moisture levels |
| Soil | Adaptable to a wide of soil types. |
| Flowers | No |
| Fruit | Acorns |
| Special Features | Oaks can live for several hundred years. Its leaves turn bright red to brown in the fall before falling off. |
