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Oak, Northern Red

Category:  Downtown Arboretum

Quercus rubra

51 Trees

Details

Noteworthy Characteristics

Quercus rubra, commonly called red oak or northern red oak, is a medium sized, deciduous tree with a rounded to broad-spreading, often irregular crown. Typically grows at a moderate-to-fast rate to a height of 50-75' (often larger in the wild). Dark, lustrous green leaves (grayish-white beneath) with 7-11, toothed lobes which are sharply pointed at the tips. Leaves turn brownish-red in autumn. Insignificant flowers in separate male and female catkins appear in spring. Fruits are acorns (with flat, saucer-shaped cups) which mature in early fall. An abundant crop of acorns may not occur before this tree reaches 40 years old. A Missouri native tree which typically occurs on northern- and eastern-facing wooded slopes throughout the State.

Genus name comes from the classical Latin name for oak trees.

Specific epithet means red.

For more information visit Missouri Botanical Garden HERE