Red oak

Beech family. Grows in forests, along riverbanks where there is no waterlogging in the soil, north of the 35th parallel of the North American continent, up to Canada. A common tree of broad-leaved and mixed forests, it prefers sheltered valleys or low hills, but also grows on northern and eastern slopes from valley bottoms to middle mountain belts and uplands, tolerates a variety of soils, but grows best on deep, well-textured soils.

A graceful tree up to 25 m tall, with a dense pyramidal crown. The trunk is covered with thin, smooth, gray bark, becoming fissured on old trees. Young shoots are reddish-velvety, one-year shoots are red-brown, smooth. The leaves are deeply lobed, thin, glossy, up to 15-20 cm, with 4-5 pointed lobes on each side of the leaf; when unfolding they are reddish, in summer dark green, paler beneath; in autumn, before falling, on young trees they are scarlet-red, on old ones brownish-brown. It flowers simultaneously with the unfolding of the leaves. The acorns are spherical, up to 2 cm, red-brown, somewhat truncated at the base; unlike the pedunculate oak, they ripen in the autumn of the second year. Fruiting is regular and abundant from 15-20 years. In youth it grows faster than European oaks.

Frost-hardy, can be used for plantings from the latitude of Moscow and southwards. Moderately light-demanding, tolerates lateral shading easily, but prefers full illumination of the top of the crown. Wind-resistant, not very demanding regarding soil fertility, tolerates even acidic reaction, however does not tolerate calcareous and wet soils. Resistant to pests and diseases, including powdery mildew — a scourge of our oaks. Has strong phytoncidal properties. Among the merits of the red oak is its resistance to smoke and gases. It belongs to species that effectively reduce urban noise. Thanks to its high ornamental value, resistance to adverse environmental factors, and splendid autumn display, it deserves the widest use in landscape construction for creating solitary and group plantings, alleys, masses, and roadside and street plantings. Can be used in combination with the same species as the swamp oak. In cultivation since the 17th century.

It has a golden (f. aurea) ornamental form. A tree up to 15 m tall, with large bright-bronze leaves in spring. Besides the color, the leaves have a beautiful shape with pointed edges. To protect against the appearance of a brownish margin on the leaves it is better to plant it where there is some shade, especially during midday hours.

based on material from the website www.ultradrome.narod.ru