red oak

1. any of several oak trees, as Quercus rubra, or Q. falcata, of North America.

2. the hard, cross-grained wood of these trees.

[1625-35, Amer.]

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▪ subgenus

 any member of a group or subgenus (Erythrobalanus) of North American ornamental and timber shrubs and trees of the genus Quercus, in the beech family (Fagaceae), that have bristle-tipped leaves, acorns with hairy shell linings, and bitter seeds that mature in two seasons. black oak, live oak, willow oak (including water oak, laurel oak, shingle oak), and pin oak (qq.v.) are red oaks.

      More specifically, red oak refers to two important timber trees, the northern red oak (Quercus rubra) and the southern red oak, or Spanish oak (Q. falcata). The northern red oak is often cultivated as an ornamental; it grows rapidly into a round-headed, wide-spreading tree about 25 m (80 feet) tall, occasionally to 45 m (150 feet). Its oblong leaves have 7 to 11 lobes, are 20 cm (8 inches) or longer, and are dull green above and yellowish green and hairy beneath; they turn red-orange in autumn and persist into winter. The acorn is about 3 cm long and held at the base in a shallow cup.

      The southern red oak, also planted as an ornamental, has a deeper root system, a shorter trunk, and two types of leaves: one with three apical lobes, the other with five to seven deep lobes, with the terminal lobe further divided. Both types are about 18 cm long, glossy dark green above, and rusty and hairy below; they turn orange to orange-brown in autumn.

      Cherry-bark oak, or swamp red oak, a valuable timber tree also used as an ornamental, is a variety of the southern red oak. It is a larger tree, up to 36 m, with more uniform, 5- to 11-lobed leaves, often 23 cm long. The gray-brown to black scaly bark resembles that of black cherry.

      The scarlet oak (Q. coccinea), Nuttall oak (Q. nuttallii), and Shumard oak (Q. shumardii) are other valuable timber trees of eastern and southern North America. The scarlet oak has a short, rapidly tapering trunk and leaves with nearly circular sinuses; it is a popular ornamental because of its scarlet autumn foliage. The Nuttall oak is a slender, often pyramidal tree, similar to the scarlet oak except for its oblong, often striated acorns. The Shumard oak is a tall (up to 23 m) bottomland tree with an open crown, long, clear trunk, and seven- to nine-lobed leaves.

      The Texas red oak (Q. texana), about 10 m tall, is sometimes considered a shorter variety of the Shumard oak.

      The blackjack oak (Q. marilandica), a cover tree on sandy soils in eastern North America, is about 9 to 15 m tall, with leaves that bear three lobes at the wide apex; they are glossy and dark green above, rusty and hairy below.

      Timber from all members of the red oak group is called “red oak” in the lumber trade.

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