Leaf guide › Oaks
Northern red oak
Quercus rubra
The russet-red backbone of late-season color, after the maples have dropped.
Updated
- Fall color
- RedBronze
- Turns
- Late
- Leaves
- Alternate (one per spot)
- Size
- 5–8 in. long
- Found in
- New England & New York, Great Lakes & North Woods, Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest
How to recognize it
- Seven to eleven lobes, each ending in sharp points with tiny bristle tips.
- Notches between the lobes reach about halfway to the center vein.
- Dull green on top in summer, turning russet red to brown in fall.
- Acorns have a shallow, flat cap.
Easy to confuse with
White oak
Lobes are rounded with no bristle tips.
Scarlet oak
Deeper, C-shaped notches that nearly reach the center vein, and a brighter scarlet in fall.
Worth knowing
Red oak acorns take two years to mature. It’s the state tree of New Jersey and one of the most important timber trees in the East.
Common questions
What color does northern red oak turn in fall?
Northern red oak turns red and bronze in fall. The russet-red backbone of late-season color, after the maples have dropped.
When does northern red oak change color?
It’s one of the later trees to color, often after the maples have passed peak.
How can you tell northern red oak from white oak?
White oak: Lobes are rounded with no bristle tips. Northern red oak: Seven to eleven lobes, each ending in sharp points with tiny bristle tips.
Where does northern red oak grow?
In the lower 48, look for it in New England & New York, Great Lakes & North Woods, Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest.
See where the color is peaking today.
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