86 TREES OF NEW ENGLAND. 



Quercus rubra, L. 



Red Oak. 



Habitat and Range. Growing impartially in a great variety 

 of soils, but not on wet lands. 



Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to divide west of Lake Superior. 



.Maine, common, at least south of the central portions; 

 New Hampshire, extending into Coos county, far north of 

 the White mountains ; Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, 

 and Connecticut, common ; probably in most parts of New 

 England the most common of the genus ; found higher up the 

 slopes of mountains than the white oak. 



South to Tennessee, Virginia, and along mountain ranges to 

 Georgia ; reported from Florida ; west to Minnesota, Nebraska, 

 Kansas, and Texas. 



Habit. The largest of the New England oaks, 50-85 

 feet high, with a diameter of 2-6 feet above the swell of 

 the roots ; occasionally attaining greater dimensions ; trunk 

 usually continuous to the top of the tree, often heavily but- 

 tressed ; point of branching higher than in the white oak ; 

 branches large, less contorted, and rising at a sharper angle, 

 the lower sometimes horizontal ; branchlets rather slender ; 

 head extremely variable, in old trees with ample space for 

 growth, open, well-proportioned, and imposing ; sometimes 

 oblong in outline, wider near the top, and sometimes symmet- 

 rically rounded, not so broad, however, as the head of the 

 white oak ; conspicuous in summer by its bright green, 

 abundant foliage, which turns to dull purplish-red in autumn. 



Bark. Bark of trunk and lower parts of branches in old 

 trees dark gray, firmly, coarsely, and rather regularly ridged, 

 smooth elsewhere ; in young trees greenish mottled gray, 

 smooth throughout ; season's shoots at first green, taking a 

 reddish tinge in autumn, marked with pale, scattered dots. 



Winter Buds and Leaves. Buds ovate, conical, sharp- 

 pointed. Leaves simple, alternate, 4-8 inches long, 3-5 

 inches broad, bright green above, paler beneath, dull brown 



