Ontario's Tree Atlas: Red Oak (Quercus rubra)

Leaves
Photo by: Daniel Tigner,
Canadian Forest Tree Essences
Bark
Photo by: Daniel Tigner,
Canadian Forest Tree Essences
Acorns
Photo by: Daniel Tigner,
Canadian Forest Tree Essences
Tree
Photo by: Daniel Tigner,
Canadian Forest Tree Essences

Did you know?
Sometimes dead leaves stay on oak trees, even in the winter.  

The red oak can be found east of Lake Superior, and across central and southern Ontario.  It is usually 20 to 30 metres tall, with a thick trunk sometimes more than 120 centimetres in diameter.

   

The red oak’s leaves are dark green and are 10 to 20 centimetres long. They have sharp, pointed lobes (usually 7 to 9) with bristly tips.

 

Acorns from the red oak are 2 to 3 centimetres long and are round with a scaly cap that covers less than ¼ of the acorn.  The bark of the red oak is smooth and dark gray when the tree is young, but deep ridges develop as the tree gets older.

 

Size:  20 to 30 metres tall, trunk between 30 and 90 centimetres in diameter
Moisture:  Can tolerate a variety of moisture levels
Shade:  Prefers full sun, but can tolerate some shade
Soil: Grows in a variety of soils

 

Where you can plant this tree in Ontario:

 

  • Addington Central
  • Addington Northern
  • Addington Southern
  • Algoma Eastern
  • Algoma Southern
  • Belleville Northern
  • Belleville Southern
  • Brant Central
  • Brant Northern
  • Brant Southern
  • Bruce Eastern
  • Bruce Northern
  • Bruce Western
  • Chatham Kent Northern
  • Chatham Kent Southern
  • Dufferin Eastern
  • Dufferin Southern
  • Dufferin Western
  • Dundas
  • Durham Central
  • Durham Northern
  • Durham Southern
  • Elgin
  • Essex
  • Frontenac Central
  • Frontenac Northern
  • Frontenac Southern
  • Glengarry
  • Grenville Central
  • Grenville Eastern
  • Grenville Western
  • Grey
  • Haldimand
  • Haliburton Northern
  • Haliburton Southern
  • Haliburton Western
  • Halton Eastern
  • Halton Northern
  • Halton Southern
  • Halton Western
  • Hamilton Eastern
  • Hamilton Northern
  • Hamilton Southern
  • Hamilton Western
  • Hastings Central
  • Hastings Northern
  • Hastings Southern
  • Hastings Southwestern
  • Huron Central
  • Huron Eastern
  • Huron Western
  • Kawartha Lakes Central
  • Kawartha Lakes Northern
  • Kawartha Lakes Southern
  • Kingston Eastern
  • Kingston Western
  • Lambton
  • Lanark Eastern
  • Lanark Western
  • Leeds Central
  • Leeds Eastern
  • Leeds Western
  • Lennox Central
  • Lennox Northern
  • Lennox Southern
  • Manitoulin
  • Middlesex Eastern
  • Middlesex Northern
  • Middlesex Western
  • Muskoka
  • Niagara Southern
  • Nipissing Eastern
  • Nipissing Northern
  • Nipissing Southern
  • Norfolk
  • Northumberland
  • Ottawa Eastern
  • Ottawa Southern
  • Ottawa Western
  • Oxford Northern
  • Oxford Southern
  • Parry Sound Central
  • Parry Sound Eastern
  • Parry Sound Northern
  • Peel Central
  • Peel Eastern
  • Peel Western
  • Perth Northern
  • Perth Southern
  • Peterborough Central
  • Peterborough Northern
  • Peterborough Southern
  • Prescott
  • Prince Edward City
  • Quinte West Northern
  • Quinte West Southern
  • Renfrew Eastern
  • Renfrew Northern
  • Renfrew Southern
  • Russell
  • Simcoe Northern
  • Simcoe Southern
  • Stormont
  • Toronto
  • Waterloo Northern
  • Waterloo Southern
  • Wellington Northern
  • Wellington Southern
  • York Central
  • York Northern
  • York Southern

Planting tips:  The red oak needs room to grow – it can tolerate shade when it’s younger, but needs full sun as it gets older.  It doesn’t grow very well if it’s close to other trees. More tips...