Northern Red Oak

The northern red oak grows straight and tall, to 28 m, exceptionally to 43 m tall, with a trunk of up to 50–100 cm diameter. Open-grown trees do not get so tall, but can develop a stouter trunk, up to 2 m in diameter. It has stout branches growing at right angles to the stem, forming a narrow round-topped head. It grows rapidly and is tolerant of many soils and varied situations, although it prefers the glacial drift and well-drained borders of streams. It is frequently a part of the canopy in an oak-heath forest, but generally not as important as some other oaks. Under optimal conditions, northern red oak is fast growing and a 10-year-old tree can be 5–6 m tall. Trees may live up to 500 years.