Cooperative Living June 2023 - 31

BRANCHING OUT
The Northern Red Oak
by Steve Carroll, Contributing Columnist
A most common and beautiful tree
O
aks are found around the world, with about 90
species in North America alone. Northern red
oak (Quercus rubra) is one ofthe 30 or so oaks in
Red oaks can
reach over 90 feet
in height with
trunks 3 feet in
diameter.
our region and is one ofour most common trees. A closely
related species, southern red oak (Quercusfalcata), also grows
in our area, but when I mention red oak in this article, I'm
referring toQuercus rubra.
Red oaks can reach 90
feet or more in height, with
trunks 3 feet in diameter.
In the mid-Atlantic, they are
especially prominent in the
mountains and Piedmont.
They are frequently
encountered in the inner
coastal plain, but are less
common along the coast.
They prefer moist, acidic
sites with deep, rich soil, but
will also grow on exposed
mountain sites with thin,
rocky soil. They do well in
full or partial sun, but not
in deep shade.
Red oak opens its yellowgreen
flowers in the spring,
with male and female flowers
forming on the same tree.
Ifsuccessfully pollinated
by the wind, acorns -
the prototypical oak fruit -
develop. Red oak acorns
mature in their second
season.
Acorn production varies
1
11 bristle-tipped lobes. Sinuses (indentations
between these lobes) cut one-quarter to twothirds
of the way to the midrib. In the fall,
the leaves turn orange, red or magenta.
Oak leaves are the major food source for
many moth and butterfly caterpillars, and
songbirds seek out and feed these caterpillars
to their young. The acorns are prized by grouse,
jays, turkeys, squirrels, bear, deer and other
birds and mammals. However, they are too bitter for human
consumption unless first leached oftheir tannins. It's been
said that acorns such as those from red oak are " best eaten
indirectly by man, in the
form ofpork " (food
historianWaverley Root).
In some years, oaks
2
4
3
are heavily infested with
spongy moth (formerly
called gypsy moth)
larvae, which can quickly
defoliate a tree. One year
ofattack may slow growth
ofacorn production,
but it doesn't usually kill
a mature tree.
Years ago, when
1. Red oak fall foliage
at Rock Creek Park.
2. Red oak leaves showing
lobes and sinuses.
3. Red oak acorns.
4. Unfolding red oak leaves
and male catkins.
dramatically from year to
year. After several seasons
with low yield, oaks across a region may collectively produce
a bumper crop, a phenomenon called masting. It was long
thought that this was an evolutionary adaptation to produce
so many acorns that herbivores could not consume an entire
year's crop. This may indeed be a reason for this dramatic
cycle, but other explanations are possible, such as increased
pollination efficiency in years when many flowers form.
Red oak leaves are 4 to 10 inches long, with seven to
co-opliving.com
my wife and I used a
woodstove, we burned red
oak. More recently, it was
our first choice when we
replaced our carpeting
with hardwood flooring.
Red oak is also used to
make furniture, tool
handles, railroad ties and
other products. It has been
used for barrels to hold
dry goods, but the wood
does not seal tightly
enough to hold liquids.
Native Americans and
early settlers used oak-leaf
compresses to heal wounds
and tannin from oak bark to tan hides.
Whether as an attractive shade tree or to support wildlife,
red oak is an excellent choice for landowners who have
sufficient space. 
Steve Carroll is a botanist and ecologist who speaks andwrites
about trees,gardeningand the world ofplants.He is the co-author
of " Ecologyfor Gardeners, " publishedby TimberPress.
June 2023 ● Cooperative Living ●
29
PHOTO BY BRUCE KIRCHOFF
VIA FLICKR
PHOTO BY KATJA SCHULZ
VIA FLICKR
PHOTO COURTESY OF PLANT IMAGE
LIBRARY VIA FLICKR
PHOTO BY BRUCE KIRCHOFF
VIA FLICKR
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Cooperative Living June 2023

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