Types of Oak Trees
Oaks are the backbone of North American woodlands, and they feed more kinds of caterpillars, and through them more birds, than any other tree. They divide into two great camps: the red oaks, whose leaves end in bristle-tipped points, and the white oaks, whose lobes are smooth and rounded. Here are the oaks in the Huck field guide, with leaf, bark, and acorn marks for each.
35 oak trees in the Huck field guide. Tap any one for identification, habitat, diet, and a live sightings map.
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How do you tell a red oak from a white oak?
Look at the leaf lobes. Red-oak-group leaves end in sharp, bristle-tipped points; white-oak-group leaves have rounded lobes with no bristles. White-oak acorns also mature in one season and sprout in fall, while red-oak acorns take two years and are more bitter.
Which oak is best for wildlife?
Most native oaks are exceptional, but white oak, bur oak, and the live oaks are standouts, producing heavy acorn crops that feed deer, turkey, jays, and squirrels. Any native oak in the right region supports hundreds of caterpillar species, the base of the songbird food web.