Wood: Hard, heavy, close-grained, light brown.
Uses: Interior finishing, furniture, fuel, fence posts.
Habitat: Rich, upland woods; along river banks; on well-drained slopes.
Range: New Brunswick, across southern Quebec and Ontario, to northcentral Minnesota, south to eastern Kansas, east across Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, and in the mountains of eastern Tennessee and northeastern Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: The acorn with its very shallow, saucer-shaped cap is the best identifying characteristic for the Red Oak. The leaves are generally more shallowly lobed than those of the Black Oak, Southern Red Oak, and Scarlet Oak.
SHUMARD’S OAK
Quercus shumardii Buckl.
Other Names: Southern Red Oak; Schneck’s Oak.
Growth Form: Up to 120 feet tall; trunk up to 5 feet in diameter; crown broad and open, with wide-spreading branches.
Bark: Firmly ridged and dark brownish-black.