American red oak Quercus rubra
Also known as: common red oak, eastern red oak, mountain red oak, gray oak
Q. rubra is a fairly large tree (20-30 m tall; up to about 1 m diameter) that is widespread throughout much of the eastern United States and parts of southern Canada.
American red oak timber is a commercially important North American hardwood. It is a very strong timber with an attractive grain, making it popular for veneer, furniture, paneling, and a variety of other uses. Q. rubra is harvested from natural forests in North America, where it grows both in association with a variety of other hardwoods and in pure stands.
Like many other oaks, Q. rubra is ecologically important, as many types of animals depend on the seeds (acorns) for food. It is a fast-growing species with attractive seasonal foliage, and is popular as a shade and ornamental tree.
Species Details
- CITES
- Not Listed
- Endangered Status
- Not Evaluated
- Uses
- Associated Risks
Quercus rubra is not listed on any appendix of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The species is abundant and is considered “lower risk/least concern” by the IUCN.
Countries Where Found
Naturally Occurring
Sources
- Gilman, Edward F., and Dennis G. Watson. Quercus rubra: Northern red oak. U.S. Forest Service/Southern Group of State Foresters.
- Sander, Ivan. “Quercus rubra.” USDA Forest Service: Silvics of North America, Volume 2
- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS profile: “Quercus rubra L.”
- American Hardwood Export Council. American red oak (Quercus spp.)
- Photo of Quercus rubra tree from Dinesh Valke (dinesh_valke) at Flickr. Used under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-3.0) license.
