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Oak
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|  | | black oakQuercus velutina Lam. | |
Black oak can attain heights of more than 43 m. Approximately half the acorn is enclosed by the cup, which has slight marginal fringes. Tannin is extracted from the bark for use in tanning and a yellow dye can also be extracted from the inner bark for colouring most natural fibres. Many birds and mammals consume the acorns.
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|  | | bur oakQuercus macrocarpa Michx. | |
Bur oak is a long-lived (>275 years), medium-sized (>20 m) tree. The lower portion of its trunk often produces small sprouts. A deep knobby cup with fringes encloses the acorn. Bur oak is tolerant of automobile pollution and is therefore planted in many urban areas.
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|  | | Chinquapin oakQuercus muehlenbergii Engelm. | |
Chinquapin oak is a medium-sized (>24 m) tree. It is tolerant of saline and drought conditions. Its acorns are edible and sweet. They are considered a high-quality food for many birds, particularly red-headed and red-bellied woodpeckers, and also for other animals.
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|  | | Garry oakQuercus garryana Dougl. | |
Garry oak is a long-lived (>400 years), medium-sized (> 22 m) tree. The leaves have 5 to 7 rounded lobes. It's an important source of food and habitat for a number of birds, including acorn woodpeckers, and numerous small mammals. The First Peoples soaked the acorns in order to remove the bitter tannins prior to eating them.
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|  | | pin oakQuercus palustris Muenchh. | |
Pin oak is a moderately long-lived (>170 years), medium-sized (>25 m) tree. It retains many small stiff branches that stand out like pins from the trunk and hence it has derived its name from this feature. Leaves of pin oak turn an exquisite intense red-brown colour in the autumn.
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|  | | red oakQuercus rubra L. | |
Red oak is a long-lived tree that can reach heights of more than 45 m. It is the fastest growing of the oaks. It has been naturalized in Europe. The First Peoples used acorns for meal (once the tannic acids were soaked out) and medicinal extracts from bark to treat bowel dysfunctions. It is the provincial tree of Prince Edward Island.
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|  | | swamp white oakQuercus bicolor Willd. | |
Swamp white oak is a long-lived (>300 years), medium-sized (>20 m) tree. The long stalk attached to the cup of the acorn is a distinguishing feature of swamp white oak. The sweet acorn is eaten by many birds, especially ducks, and also by small mammals.
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|  | | white oakQuercus alba L. | |
White oak is a slow-growing, long-lived (>500 years), medium-sized (>27 m) tree. The leaves have deeply cut, narrow rounded lobes. The acorn is edible, was often eaten by First Peoples, and is an important source of food for many birds and mammals.
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Tree Guide
