What variety of oak is it?

DPatton · January 12, 2020, 05:00:19 PM

What type of red oak is it? My apologies for the sideways photos. Thanks for your help in advance.

WDH · January 12, 2020, 07:01:23 PM

Black oak, Quercus velutina.

Virginia Tech Dendrology Fact Sheet

moodnacreek · January 12, 2020, 07:30:54 PM

Our black oaks are mustard colored under the bark. That sap band looks close to pin oak. Whatever it is it is a poor lumber tree.

DPatton · January 12, 2020, 08:42:57 PM

Quote from: moodnacreek on January 12, 2020, 07:30:54 PM
Whatever it is it is a poor lumber tree.

Yes it is! It has a big healthy ring shake circle that goes 2/3rds the way around along with all of those ugly big black checks that I suspect will blow apart as soon as it starts drying out. Also has major lightning damage down the entire south side of the main stem.

Southside · January 12, 2020, 08:50:48 PM

Looks like it's pre-marked and perforated for the RRRQS method!! :D

doc henderson · January 15, 2020, 06:59:15 PM

here is another one. a scouting buddy has this in his yard. reported as an oak. wants it down and something good to come of it. about 30 miles from here in Ks.

whatcha thinking.

Southside · January 15, 2020, 07:10:36 PM

Topeka Maple. :D

doc henderson · January 15, 2020, 07:29:13 PM

I almost said maple to get your goat, but I know you prefer chickens and cows. :D :D :D

doc henderson · January 15, 2020, 07:30:21 PM

is it pin oak? white or red?

DPatton · January 15, 2020, 08:32:44 PM

Doc,
I'm not knowledgeable on my oaks but I gotta think it's in the red family with the pointed leaves. Although I wouldn't say that it's a pin oak as the leaves look to elongated for what I know as a pin oak.

doc henderson · January 15, 2020, 08:38:28 PM

thanks Don. I have not seen the tree, just got the pics.

WDH · January 15, 2020, 08:55:34 PM

Doc,

Black oak, Quercus velutina.

doc henderson · January 15, 2020, 08:57:24 PM

thanks. can you summarize the characteristics. what are the best resources for interested beginners to get and organized approach to tree I.D.? @WDH

WDH · January 15, 2020, 09:17:20 PM

The sun leaves have deep sinuses. If you look on the backside of the leaves, there are little tufts of hair in the axils where the principle veins meet the mid-rib. The new growth twigs are very hairy or tomentose. Even the leaf petiole in young leaves can be tomentose.

If you cut into the outer bark exposing the inner bark, the inner bark will be yellowish orange. The acorn is small, about the size of the tip of your index finger. The acorn cup covers half of the nut and is fringed. The bark is ridged and is usually uniformly dark without silver streaks. The sun leaves are deeply cut, i.e., the sinus extend at least halfway to the midrib, but the shade leaves are not deeply cut and can be highly variable in shape which can be confusing. Distinct difference in shape between the sun leaves and the shade leaves.

The Virgina Tech website is very good. A good ID book is Native Trees of the Southeastern US. A lot of these trees are found further west and north, too.

Virginia Tech Dendrology Fact Sheet

Native Trees of the Southeast: L. Katherine Kirkman, Claud L. Brown, Donald Joseph Leopold: 9780881928280: Amazon.com: Books

Also, an old thread:

Identifying Black Oak (Quercus velutina) in Tree, Plant and Wood I.D.