RED OAK

It is a tree prized for the shade it creates. Because it grows rapidly, it is impervious to heavy winds. The leaves are heavy and do not disintegrate rapidly when they fall. They provide an excellent mulch for shrubs requiring acidity.

The red oak may have two types of leaves: one has irregularly shaped lobes with bristles at each tip; the other is pear shaped with three rounded lobes at the outer end. In the summer, they are dark green above and light below, but in the winter they take on a rich red shade.

The blooms of this stately tree are like small, hairy catkins and they appear when the leaves are half developed. It is among the earliest trees to put out leaves in the spring. The bark, rough but not deeply grooved, ranges in color from light gray on younger trees to nearly black on the older specimens. The fruit is an acorn that is slightly rounded and about a half-inch long.