Emily Care Boss

Quercus	Which tree is which?
Click on a Common name:	Red Oak	Black Oak	White Oak
Then choose its species name:	velutina	alba	rubra

Oak Species - Quercus

Three of the oak species that are common to New England are:
Red Oak, Black Oak, and White Oak.

Distinguishing the Oaks

Red oaks and black oaks are part of the same group. You can quickly tell if you have one of these versus a white oak by looking at the leaves. The divisions of the leaf margins, called lobes, of red and black oak leaves end in a point. White oak leaf lobes are rounded.

The leaves of red and black oak leaves are very difficult to distinguish from one another. Generally, red oak leaves are broader and longer, with shallower troughs between the lobes, called "sinuses". But black oak leaves vary in size and shape quite a bit on the same tree! So, the best ways to tell red from black are 1) the acorns, 2) the buds, and 3) the bark.

Red Oak Quercus rubra Back to top.	Red oak leaves are large, medium dark green, with pointed lobes. Acorns of red oaks are also large. The cup is shallow and covers only the very top of the nut, like a "beret". The buds are dark reddish-brown in color and covered with some down only on the top half of the bud. The bark of mature red oak trees has long branching, vertical lines that contrast with the dark grey/black bark. People often say the lines look like "ski trails". The bark may be broken up and rough at the base of the tree, looking much like a black oak--but if most of the lenght of the trunk up into the branches have "ski trails" it's a good chance that it's a red oak.	Learn more about the Red Oak.
Black Oak also called Yellow Oak Quercus velutina Back to top.	Black oak leaves vary considerably on a single tree. They are often smaller, and darker than red oak leaves, with deeper sinuses. Acorns on black oaks are small. The cup is slightly fringy, and covers 1/3rd to 2/3rds of the nut, like a winter cap. The buds are light tan and covered with a fuzz all over. Bark on a black oak is black, rough and deeply furrowed. It is broken up and is generally lacking the long vertical lines typical on red oaks, though if it has some, they are less distinct than on a red oak, and do not run down the length of the tree. When scratched, the bark is a yellow color beneath the surface, which gives it its alternate name, yellow oak.	Learn more about the Black Oak.
White Oak Quercus alba Back to top.	White oaks have rounded tips on the many lobes of their leaves. Their bark is lighter and smoother than red or black oaks. It breaks up into vaguely rectangular strips. The surface of the bark exfoliate in patches toward the base, giving them "bald spots" that appear even lighter than the surrounding bark. White oak acorns are sweeter than those of red or black oaks--if you wish to eat them, they contain less tannins than the others. So they require less boiling and rinsing before being edible. You can dry and pound them and make acorn flour.	Learn more about the White Oak.