Northern Red Oak

New Jersey State Tree

Northernredoakautumnleaves.jpg

Red oak tree in autumn

Red oak tree ablaze with fall color; photo by Kevin Harber on Flickr (noncommercial use permitted with attribution / no derivative works).

Official State Tree of New Jersey

New Jersey designated the northern red oak (Quercus borealis maxima) as the official state tree in 1950 (New Jersey also adopted a state memorial tree in 1951). All State Trees

The northern red oak is named for the reddish color of the wood, though the fall foliage can also be a brilliant red. The acorns, leaves, and seedlings of northern red oak provide food for a huge array of wildlife including many species of birds, deer, elk, bear, squirrels, rabbits, and rodents.

An important source of hardwood lumber, the coarse-grained wood of the northern red oak tree is hard, strong, heavy, and durable. Red oak wood has been used to make railroad ties, fence posts, furniture, flooring, and for many other uses (it is also an excellent firewood).

New Jersey

Images

Northern red oak (Quercus rubra); acorn caps on winter branch.  Photo by Kent McFarland/Flickr (noncommercial use permitted with attribution).

Acorn caps on northern red oak tree branch in winter

Single acorn lying on the ground; from a northern red oak tree.  Photo by jon hayes/Flickr (noncommercial use permitted with attribution).

Acorn from a northern red oak tree

Northern red oak leaves in summer; photo by Jessica HIckman in Flickr (noncommercal use permitted with attribution / share alike).

Northern red oak leaves in summer

Massive red oak tree; photo by Wendy Cutler on Flickr (use permitted with attribution).

Massive red oak tree

Range of northern red oak tree; public domain image from USDA Plants Database

Range of northern red oak tree

Videos

Fast Growing Oak Trees