Red Oak (Quercus rubra)

Form

Height 70 to 90 feet; diameter ranges from 2 to 3 feet; in forest situations, tall and straight with clear trunk and narrow crown.

Bark

On young stems, smooth, dark grey to dark brown; on older trees, thick and grey to brown; broken by shallow fissures into regular, flat, smooth-surfaced, vertical plates.

Leaf

Alternate; length 5 to 9 inches; width 4 to 6 inches, broader toward the tip; divided into 7 to 9 lobes, each extending 1/2 way to the mid-rib; each lobe somewhat coarsely toothed and bristle-tipped, dull green above, paler below. Buds thick and pointed.

Fruit

Large, bitter acorn, maturing the second year; length 1 to 1 1/2 inches; blunt-topped, flat at base, enclosed in a very shallow, dark-brown cup that is velvety inside.

Range

Grows throughout Wisconsin on the better sites.

Wood

Light, reddish-brown heartwood; hard, strong and coarse; used for construction and finish of houses, furniture and fuel. Best logs are largely cut into veneer.