Red Oak
Quercus rubra
Dimensions:
Height: 60’ - 100’
Mature spread: 50’ - 75’
Trunk Diameter: 2’ - 3’
Habitat and Range:
found in upland forests throughout Kentucky
prefers full sun and acidic soil
Features:
the most common oak in the northeast U.S. after pin oak
a major timber tree
one of the fastest growing compared to other upland oaks
is slow-burning fuel
named for its bright red fall leaves
its acorns, with their flat caps, develop over two years, and only germinate with three months of exposure to below 40 degrees
leafs out when the day length reaches 13 hours in the spring, and not tied to temperature
History:
gypsy moths once defoliated whole stands of red oak
one famous, huge red oak is the Shera-Blair Oak in Frankfort, Kentucky, found in the back yard of the architect who designed the twin spires at Churchill Downs
