The Red Oak is recognized for its speedy maturation, thus making it a species of deciduous tree. The tree is one of a kind and is incomparable to any other type of Red Oak. This particular species develops quickly, and its open canopy allows for it to reach great heights. Once it is fully grown, the tree can reach a height of eighty feet and its leaves have a shine to them and are a deep green shade.
The wood from this tree is quite sturdy, making it an extremely useful resource for people living in the same area. The Northern Red Oak is ideal for producing furniture due to its high quality wood. This tree is remarkable due to its rarity in the world.
Red Oak wood has a pleasant hue to it, making it a desirable choice for crafts-persons for many different woodworking ventures. Red Oak is held in high esteem for its durable quality, making it a favorite for flooring and also for wall paneling, joinery, and other furnishings. Indigenous Americans utilized Red Oak for medicinal remedies to address a variety of health issues! How extensive is your knowledge about the Red Oak tree species, given that there are more than 600 distinct varieties of Oak present globally, and 60 of these are seen in the US? Continue reading to find out about this exceptional sort of wood, from its base to the top!
Are Red Oak Trees Hardwood Trees?
Trees that are categorized as hardwood are differentiated by the type of seeds they bear. Every individual type of hardwood tree has a cover that takes on the form of a fruit or a pod which then becomes a flowering plant. These flower seeds are called an angiosperm, which means “vessel seed” in Greek. Moreover, hardwood trees shed and grow back their leaves yearly, thus making them deciduous trees.
Hardwood trees are distinct from softwood trees in that seeds of the latter do not have an outer covering and must fend off weather conditions when falling on the ground. Examples of softwood tree seeds are needles and cones, also known as gymnosperms, meaning “naked seed.” Generally, all softwood tree species are evergreens as their needles and cones remain all year, with the exception of the Larch tree.
Red Oak trees are a type of hardwood tree and they are angiosperms, meaning they produce acorn seedlings. These trees, with their leafy green foliage, shed their leaves seasonally, making them suitable for the category of hardwood.
Hardiness Zone
The Northern Red Oak is quite resistant to the harsh conditions brought on by city life and gusty winds. It is anticipated to become more resilient in climates ranging from 3 to 8 on the hardiness scale. The tops of the trees look terrific when the strong winds are blowing. This tree thrives in harsh climates when planted in an ideal soil composition and is mainly employed for beautifying landscapes.
This tree is extremely viable for sale, as it can be purchased for over a hundred dollars. So far, many people are cultivating this variety on their properties.
This tree has been around for over three centuries and can be found in North American regions. The tree is lovely because of its maximum height of thirty meters and the thickness of its trunk reaching 120 cm in conditions that are difficult to survive. This particular tree can thrive in both unfavorable and ideal harsh environments and will flourish unimpeded in these areas.
The bark of the Northern Red Oak tree can vary from a smooth, grey color to a light, grey hue with shallow furrows, particularly in hardier regions. The tree performs admirably in both areas that receive plenty of sunlight and those that are shaded.
This tree is capable of growing within tough zones due to the soil composition in arid areas. This type of tree tends to thrive best in soil with a low acidity level that has a lot of space between the particles. The tree is able to survive the winter months in the coldest of areas.
How hard is Red Oak hardwood?
The Janka Hardness Scale is employed to evaluate the relative solidness of domestic wood varieties, such as Red Oak timber. The exam calculates the strength needed to push an 11.28 mm steel ball halfway into a wooden substance. The Janka Hardness test is often used to evaluate whether wood is suitable for floors, but it can also be used to gauge a wood species’ strength against wear and its longevity. Wood species with a higher rating are more solid than those with a lower rating. The Janka Hardness Scale measures the hardness of a material in pound-force (lbf).
Red Oak hardwood has a rating of 1120 pounds-force on the Janka Hardness Scale. The Janka Hardness Scale is a great way to show just how strong and easy to work with Red Oak wood is compared with other types of wood like Walnut (1010 lbf) and Cherry (950 lbf), as 1120 lbf is the value associated with Red Oak wood. Red Oak wood does not have the same strength as White Oak and Ash wood. White Oak is stronger, with a Janka Hardness Scale rating of 1360 lbf, whereas Ash has a rating of 1320 lbf. Sadly, Red Oak is known for being a hard and long-lasting type of wood, which makes it suitable for many things, like floors, furniture, and more.
Type of Tree
Are you curious about what the Red Oak tree looks like? Here’s a detailed description! This tree grows in a vertical, upright direction, reaching a maximum elevation of 25 meters, which is equal to 82 feet. The trunk of the tree can expand up to a width of one hundred centimeters. It can be challenging to tell Northern Red Oaks apart from other trees, but these suggestions can assist you in recognizing them.
The tree has grown without obstruction and is able to form a thicker trunk reaching a width of two meters. The branches extend outward at a perpendicular angle relative to the stem, creating a circular shape and narrowing towards the summit. These trees grow quickly and can adapt to different soils. The trees prefer well-drained soils with glacial drifts. Oak forests often have these trees as a covering above, making them one of a kind.
This tree thrives when in ideal circumstances, particularly in areas that get plenty of sunshine. This tree has an estimated lifespan of 300 years, according to statistics. This particular tree type is identifiable by its distinctive bark, which is characterized by ridges that have glossy stripes radiating from the center and going downward.
The tree is distinct from other trees that look similar. The Northern Red Oak tree can be identified by its glossy stripes that extend down to the base of the trunk. This species of tree is commonly found in European settlements in North America. White Oaks are gradually replacing the species, though it is still in the dominant position.
During the springtime, the tree has leaves which show up under regular temperature levels. This species thrives in cool climates, and its blossoms fade during the latter part of the spring.
This tree is not producing any seeds, and its leaves are sprouting this time of year. This Northern Red Oak tree has two distinct growing periods and typically sheds its leaves early in October. The timespan of when Northern Red Oak trees shed their old foliage, and when they grow new leaves, varies in quantity of weeks.
The outermost layer of this tree has a hue ranging from dark red to grey-brown, and it features a wide, flat ridge that appears scaly in texture. When they are young, the trees possess light grey trunks that are unblemished and contain copious amounts of tannins. Initially, the tree limbs are slim and a vivid green in color; as the months go by, they become deep red then blackish-brown.
The timber from Northern Red Oak trees is a light shade of red-brown, and once it gets older the light-colored sapwood transitions to become dark in color, hard, hefty, with a roughly textured surface and is highly durable. Wood is best for furniture due to this factor. That is why it is largely employed for surface treatments inside of dwellings or in general construction. Timber is quite marketable, especially in urban regions.
The Northern Red Oak tree’s winter buds are of a red-brown hue and can reach up to six millimeters in length.
The leaves of the tree are very good and can reach a width of six inches, with broad bases and spines. The leaf has spiny protrusions with sizable teeth. The pink buds of Northern Red Oak trees sprout leaves that are covered with a fine, silken fur.
Once they reach adulthood, these trees have a glossy, dark green look. The nodes where the veins branch off on the tree are adorned with vivid yellow-green, glossy hairs. In the fall, the tree takes on a dark reddish hue, and they may even become brown. The petiole of this tree has mid-red veins with a deep red shade, and its acorns can take up to a year before maturing after the pollination process.
The top of the tree is sharp and can reach a maximum of one inch in size. The tree begins to develop by becoming green, and its trunk can take on a reddish-brown hue as it matures. The acorns of this tree go through a period of inactivity, so they don’t start to grow until three months have passed. The trees should be subjected to a temperature of less than four degrees. It can take up to two years for the trees to reach full maturity.
Different Kinds of Oak Wood
It is estimated that in excess of 600 species of Oak trees exist globally, and around 60 of these exist in the United States. Oak trees can be divided into two groups – Red Oak and White Oak – based on differences in their characteristics, regardless Whether they are Quercus alba or Quercus rubra. This implies that when you buy Red Oak wood from the store, it might not actually be Quercus rubra but one of the varieties in the “Red Oak” group.
- White Oak (Quercus alba): the White Oak tree is native to the eastern United States and grows to a mature height between 50 feet and 80 feet tall. Unlike the Red Oak tree, with its warm, red undertones, the White Oak tree’s color is more reminiscent of wheat with cooler undertones. Learn more about the White Oak wood offered by Forest 2 Home by reading Species Highlight: White Oak Wood.
- Black Oak (Quercus velutina): Similar to the White Oak and Red Oak trees, the Black Oak tree is native to the eastern United States and has a coarse texture. The Black Oak tree’s wood is pale red to brown (not black!). Black Oak trees reach a mature height of 65 feet to 80 feet. The Black Oak tree falls into the Red Oak category.
- California Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii): native to the western United States, the California Black Oak is a popular option for flooring and furniture making. Like the Black Oak tree in the east, the California Black Oak grows to be 65 feet to 80 feet at a mature height. It also falls into the Red Oak category.
- Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda): growing to a mature height of 80 feet to 100 feet tall, the Cherrybark Oak is one of the strongest types of Red Oak in the United States. The Cherrybark Oak is native to the eastern United States and features medium red-brown color with coarse grain.
- Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea): dubbed the Scarlet Oak for its firey crown as the leaves change color, this Red Oak tree is native to the eastern United States. More specifically, the Scarlet Oak grows from Maine down to South Carolina and Georgia. Due to its large pores, the Scarlet Oak has low rot resistance.
Red Oak Wood Growth
This species of tree is native to the eastern region of North America and its geographic range goes from Canada in the north to Georgia in the south, and can reach as far as Missouri in the west but hardly ever goes beyond that. The Red Oak tree enjoys a relatively fast rate of growth, with upwards of 24 inches of growth every year and achieving a final height of up to 90 feet when mature. Red Oak trees need plenty of sun exposure for optimum growth; their seedlings can only germinate when not shadowed by other trees and must have an opening in the foliage in order to reach full maturity. Not many people know that Red Oak trees can reproduce not only by producing seedlings from their acorns, but also by growing root sprouts!
Acorn Usage
There is a plentiful supply of acorns, the fruits of the Oak tree, when numerous Oak trees are present. These shelled seeds are not only of prime importance for the propagation of Oak trees, but many creatures use them as a source of nourishment. An Oak tree that has reached maturity will generate an approximate yield of 25-30 pounds of acorns annually. These acorns may potentially mature into new saplings, while some could be eaten as food by foxes, rodents, deer, hogs, turkeys, and other woodland inhabitants.
