Oak

Quercus sp.

Family: Fagaceae

Location:

throughout the United States

Characteristics:

usually tall
have true end buds clustered at tip of twigs
more than 3 bundle scars per leaf scar
acorn fruits

Species Identification:

leaves (shape, bristle-tipped or rounded)
bark
acorns and caps
buds (hairy or hairless)
twigs (hairy or hairless)

white oak

Leaves:

lobed, wave-edged, or smooth-edged
Red Oak: bristle-tipped, moderately lobed, hairless, thin, dull green above
Black Oak: bristle-tipped, thickened, glossy above, mostly hairless beneath
White Oaks: rounded tips, no bristles, hairless, somewhat whitened beneath

red oak leaf

black oak leaf

Flower:

male flowers appear in May and early June as slender drooping clusters of long catkins
female blossoms are inconspicuous

white oak leaf

Fruit (acorns):

acorns differ by species and are a useful identification tool
Red Oak: acorn cup is flat and saucer-like, overlapping scales
Black Oak: cup is bowl shaped and shaggy
White Oak: cup is bumpy and bowl shaped, covering less than 1/3 of acorn; acorn is greenish-white

red oak acorn

black oak acorn

white oak acorn

Bark:

Red Oak: long thin strips with rough shiny ridges, red underbark
Black Oak: dark blocky trunk, no shiny ridges
White Oak: light gray, slightly furrowed to scaly

red oak bark

black oak bark

Buds and Twigs:

Red Oak: hairless, sharp or blunt, not angled
Black Oak: gray-hairy, pointed, sharply angled
White Oak: red-brown, small, blunt, hairless, not angled
Red, Black, and White twigs are hairless

white oak bark

Uses:

Oak wood is excellent for building or burning. Small oaks can be split and cut into long thin strips (3 to 6 millimeters thick and 1.2 centimeters wide) used to weave mats, baskets, or frameworks for packs, sleds, etc. Oak bark soaked in water produces a tanning solution used to preserve leather. Inner bark of the oak produces a strong dye or can be stripped to make cordage. Eating untensils can be carved from the nonresinous wood because you do not get a wood resin aftertaste or taint the food. A block of this hardwood is ideal for making the drill and handle of a bow drill, useful for igniting a pile of tinder. A section of green twig from this tree can be used as an old-fashioned toothbrush. Powdered oak gall can be used as tinder and sprinkled on a glowing ember and gently fanned to produce a flame. This dense hardwood burns slowly and evenly making it ideal for slow cooking. The acorns can be boiled to make a dye for fabric.