General: Bark at first gray and smooth, later brownish gray to dark gray, thick, tough, deep-fissured; rich in tannin. A medium-sized tree, found mainly on poorer soils of hillsides and rocky ridges. Wood of better-formed trees has same uses as the other oaks. Also known as rock oak.
EASTERN RED OAK
(Quercus borealis maxima)
Leaves: Simple, alternate, 5″-8″ long, 7-11 [lobes], bristle-tipped; smooth above and below, but occasionally with small tufts of reddish brown hair beneath.
Twigs: Greenish brown to reddish brown. Buds pointed, light brown, smooth.
Fruit: An acorn, ¾″-1¼″ long; cup usually saucer-shaped, about an inch in diameter, covers only ¼ of the nut; cup scales reddish brown, narrow, tight, sometimes fuzzy on the edges. Kernel bitter as is true of the next 3 species of oaks.
General: Bark brown and gray, with smooth flat-topped ridges separated by shallow fissures when older. A large and rapid-growing tree. Often planted for shade. Wood has many uses; principally utilized for flooring, railroad ties and construction lumber.
SCARLET OAK
(Quercus coccinea)
Leaves: Simple, alternate, 4″-7″ long, 7-9 rather narrow, bristle-tipped [lobes]; smooth except for small tufts of hair beneath. Very deep spaces between lobes. Generally turn scarlet in autumn.