Oak trees are some of the most majestic trees. They grow large and exhibit a regal sense. They are often called majestic or mighty.
The two major major oak species we encounter in the NE are the Red Oak and White Oak. However, we may see some other varieties in parks.
The biggest distinguishing difference in red oak and white oak is the leaf fringes. The red oak will have pointed leaf fringes while the white oak has rounded tip leaves.
Both have deep, furrowed bark. The red oak’s bark gets smoother toward upper limbs and white plates that follow vertical pattern.
The white oak’s acorns are more palatable to wildlife.
I was able to locate a couple non-native oaks. The Mongolian oak and English (Common) oak. You can see their leaf structure is very much “oak-ish” with some differences.
The English Oak has a typical lifespan of 1000 years. The Celts consider the Common oak sacred.
The Mongolian oak is native to NE Asia and typically grows to 30-60′ tall, but sometimes soars to 90’ tall.
