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Northern Red Oak

Researched by Ernest Nebedum

Image of the Northern Red Oak tree in the fall in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.Species: Quercus rubra
Common name:  Northern red oak
Family:  Fagaceae (Oak Family)
Clade:  Angiosperms (flowering seed plants)

Coordinates: 39.70658126, -75.11789037

Tree Tag: 269 An icon used to show more information.
A tag using this number is placed near the tree.

 

The Quercus rubra tree, commonly referred to as the northern red oak, is known for its dark reddish gray-brown bark with scaly, broad, thin, rounded ridges. The ridges have shiny stripes running down their center. This tree also exhibits distinct leaf characteristics. It grows in an alternating pattern on branches, and each leaf has seven to 11 lobes. The leaves change from green to yellow, orange, and red in the fall before dropping for winter. The geographic origin of this species is North America, and it grows within a temperate deciduous forest biome. The current natural distribution of the Quercus rubra includes the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. The lifespan of this species is about 200 years, but it can live up to 400 years in rare cases. A mature Quercus rubra can grow up to 75 feet tall. Like all oak species, the northern red oak produces acorns as fruit that contain the seed as a means of reproduction. A notable interaction between oaks and animals is birds, squirrels, mice, and insects that consume fallen acorns. While many acorns become a meal, some are dispersed, buried, and forgotten by these woodland critters, enabling them to sprout. Read More

 

Vector illustration of a northern red oak leaf.
An image of the Northern Red Oak in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the Northern Red Oak in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the Northern Red Oak leaves in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the Northern Red Oak branches and leaves in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the Northern Red Oak leaves in autumn in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the Northern Red Oak in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the Northern Red Oak bark in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the Northern Red Oak in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the Northern Red Oak leaves in autumn in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the Northern Red Oak leaves in autumn in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of possible colors of leaves from the Northern Red Oak in autumn in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the Northern Red Oak leaf in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the Northern Red Oak in autumn in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the Northern Red Oak leaf in autumn in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the Northern Red Oak leaves in autumn in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the Northern Red Oak trunk in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the Northern Red Oak leaf in autumn in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the Northern Red Oak leaf in autumn in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.

[Show slideshow]
Campus Species Map
Researcher’s Biography

A photo of Ernest Nebedum, student in the Plan Diversity course working with the Rowan University Arboretum Project.Ernest Nebedum

Ernest Nebedum earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Science in 2022.

Suggested Citation:

Nebedum, Ernest. (2021, Dec). Northern Red Oak. Rowan University Arboretum. https://arboretum.rowan.edu/trees/northern-red-oak/

Questions to Explore

 

  • How did the Lenape people utilize the Northern red oak?
  • How was the Northern red oak used medicinally?
  • Describe recent medical research related to the Northern red oak.
  • How did Native Americans likely use Red Oak trees for navigation? (Hint: explore the keywords: bent tree trail markers)
  • How did oak trees influence the settlement and growth of Glassboro, New Jersey?

References

Arbor Day Foundation. (n.d.). Northern Red Oak Quercus Rubra. Arbor Day. | Link

Dunkle, P. (2017, February 18). The Sacred Oak Of Oley. International Oak Society. | Link

Licht, W., Lloyd, M. F., Duffin, J. M., McConaghy, M. D. (n.d.). The Original People And Their Land: The Lenape, Pre-History To The 18th Century. West Philadelphia Collaborative History. | Link

Southern Research Station. (n.d.). Quercus rubra L. | Link

Taib, M., Rezzak, Y., Bouyazza, L., & Lyoussi, B. (2020). Medicinal Uses, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacological Activities of Quercus Species. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine: eCAM, 2020, 1920683. | Link

The Morton Arboretum. (n.d.). Northern Red Oak. | Link

Three Rivers Park District. (n.d.). Species spotlight: Northern red oak trees. Three Rivers Parks. | Link 

Yale University. (n.d.). Northern Red Oak. Yale Nature Walk. | Link

 

Rowan University Resources

You may need to log into the Rowan University Library website.

Trees in our Pocket: a guide to Trees of the Upper Midwest | Link

Effects of acorn size and mass on seeding quality of northern red oak | Link

Trailside Botany: 101 Favorite Trees, Shrubs, and Wildflowers of the Upper Midwest | Link

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