Field Guide to Westford

Northern Red Oak 

 

Quercus rubra

This species can grow up to 140 feet tall! Red oaks dominate deciduous forests throughout New England, and Westford is no exception. It has stout branches growing at right angles to the stem, forming a narrow round-topped head. The trunk is covered in grey-brown bark with deep scales. It is easily recognizable by its bark primarily due to the fact that the northern red oak is the only tree with the striping all the way down the trunk. 

Leaves: 

Alternate, seven to nine-lobed, oblong-ovate to oblong, five to ten inches long, four to six inches broad; Leaves are dark green and smooth at maturity. In the fall they turn a ruby red.