Red Oak Tree

The Oak - or genus Quercus - are well known in New England. Many famous oaks have lived for hundreds of years. The Charter Oak in Connecticut - a white oak was used to hide important documents in the revolutionary war period. The state quarter for Connecticut shows this oak tree. Massachusetts once minted coins with oak symbols on them. Oak is valued in furniture making.



Oak trees grow very tall, and these photos are at the full zoom of my camera to see the leaves up at the top of the trees. The trunks of the tall trees don't have branches or leaves on them. Only the very top has the leaves.

The Red Oak - Quercus rubra - can be distinguished from the white oak tree by the bark. On red oak trees the "cracks" in the oak are shiny in the center. Also, the leaves differ. On the red oak the leaves are pointy. The white oak has soft, rounded leaves.

	Red Oak Tree Leaves The leaves of the red oak tree have many lobes and have sharp edges to them. Red oak Tree Leaves
	Red Oak Tree Acorns Red oak acorns are an important source of food for grey squirrels throughout the winter. Red Oak Tree Acorns
	Red Oak Tree Bark The bark of a red oak tree is fairly rough, with deep ridges in it. The cleft area of the ridges are red in color. Red oak Tree Bark
	Red Oak Tree Foliage Oaks can often go straight to brown in their foliage cycle before the leaves come down from the heights. Red oak Tree foliage

You can also learn more about the White Oak Tree
Red Oak vs White Oak - how to tell them apart

Trees of Sutton Massachusetts

Massachusetts Foliage Photo Collection
Sutton Massachusetts Photo Album