Oak Tree ID Guide: The Different Acorn-Producing Tree Species

Location: Black oaks can be found throughout the eastern U.S. with the exception of the extreme Deep South. They thrive in moist, well-drained soils but can tolerate surprisingly poor soil conditions. Black oaks prefer full sunlight but can also be found in areas with partial sun and shade.

Identifying Characteristics and Size: Black oaks are commonly mistaken for red oaks, but they don’t have the same potential for size. A mature black oak can reach heights of more than 70 feet and span widths of around 60 feet. Their roots run very deep, which makes it possible for them to grow in dry areas. Their broad and shiny leaves grow in an alternating pattern and typically have seven lobes but can be found with five to nine lobes. Each lobe of a black oak leaf has a jagged series of points at its tip. The bark of a mature tree is dark gray to black in color and will have deep ridges within it. The black oak’s mast takes two years to mature into an acorn, and will fall in late summer to early autumn. These large acorns are short and broad, with a brown and white wax-like appearance.

Location: Bur oaks can be found throughout the Midwest and Great Plains, as far north as southern Canada and south all the way to Texas. This oak can grow to an impressive size in almost any soil condition from permanently moist to extremely dry. They can commonly be found as lone oaks and prefer full to partial sunlight.

Identifying Characteristics and Size: A member of the white oak group, mature bur oaks can be massive, with a maximum height of nearly 100 feet and a canopy that spans more than 80 feet. Like most oaks, they have a very deep tap root and are often long lived. These oaks have a rugged appearance which makes them fairly easy to identify. The medium to dark gray bark of a mature tree will have extremely deep ridges in it. This can be seen not only on the trunk of the tree but on the branches, even those smaller in size. The leaves of a bur oak are large and often appear to have a leathery texture. They can have five to nine lobes of varying sizes. The lower lobes are typically the smallest. The edges of its leaves have smooth, rounded protrusions in contrast to the sharp pointed profile of leaves from the red oak group. The bur oak produces a unique acorn that only takes one year to develop. Unlike most acorns, which have a cap covering only the broad end of the nut, a bur oak acorn cap covers nearly the entire nut, and has frills that extend out of the cap, giving the appearance of hair or moss. The bur oak acorn can be mistaken for the sawtooth oak acorn, but it is larger in size and more covered by its cap. During a bountiful year bur oak acorns can cover the ground in late August and early September and make great places to target early season whitetails.

Location: Cherry bark oaks are plentiful throughout the southeastern U.S. and southernmost parts of the Midwest. These oaks can be found in areas of high moisture and are common in timbered bottomlands, flood plains and riparian zones. They prefer loamy soil and full sun exposure.

Identifying Characteristics and Size: Mature cherry bark oaks can grow to well over 100 feet tall with a broad, rounded canopy. In densely forested areas the trunk will grow very tall and straight, while in more open landscapes these oaks are typically shorter, with a wide top. The brown/medium gray bark of the cherry bark’s trunk and primary branches has shallow ridges that appear scaly and flaky while smaller branches and twigs appear smoother. The leaves have five to seven lobes that spread into multiple, sharply pointed secondary lobes. The space between lobes curves smoothly inward and the base of the leaf is wedge-shaped. This wedge-shaped base is the key to differentiating between a cherry bark oak and a Spanish oak, which has a rounded base. The cherry bark requires two years to develop its small acorns, which have caps that cover the top third of the nut. These acorns are deep orange in color with a white wax like coating, and are a primary food source for all types of wildlife. 

Location: The chinquapin oak, also known as the yellow oak, grows throughout the Midwest and southeastern U.S. It does best in moist, well-drained soils but can also be found in dry, rocky and sandy areas. This oak thrives in full to partial sun but young trees can tolerate shade.

Identifying Characteristics and Size: At maturity the chinquapin oak can reach heights of 60 feet with branches spanning more than 80 feet. The bark is light gray in color and appears flaky in texture. On the trunk the bark has deep, vertical ridges that are divided by dark gray horizontal furrows; these cause it to look scaly. The leaves are unique as they don’t have pronounced lobes like many other oak species. The base of the leaf is wedge-shaped, and it broadens to the center of the leaf before tapering again to its single front point. The edge profile of this leaf is a series of small, forward-pointing ridges with rounded edges and points. The chinquapin oak produces fairly small acorns that are nearly round in shape with caps that can cover up to half of the nut. A member of the white oak group, the chinquapin oak produces its mast annually.

Location: This oak has several names including the Northern pin oak, Jack oak and upland pin oak. It grows throughout the western Great Lakes and upper Mississippi Valley regions. It is typically found in dry, sandy soils and is one of the most drought-tolerant species of oak.

Identifying Characteristics and Size: The Hill’s oak can reach heights of nearly 70 feet with a tall, narrow crown that’s often irregularly shaped. This oak has thick, dark gray bark with a fairly smooth appearance. Narrow ridges run through the bark of the trunk and larger branches. The leaves of the Hill’s oak alternate along twigs and have five to seven lobes with a series of smaller, pointed lobes at their ends. The recesses in between the lobes curve deeply into the center of the leaf. The base of the leaf is slightly wedge-shaped, with each pair of lobes increasing in size nearer to the end of the leaf. The Hill’s oak loses its leaves in autumn, as opposed to the pin oak which still bares its leaves during winter. That’s one way to distinguish between the two oaks; another is by the shape of the acorn they produce. The Hill’s oak yields an acorn crop every two years, and the shape of the nut is more elongated and tapered than that of the pin oak.

Location: The pin oak can be found from the eastern edge of the Great Plains across the Midwest and throughout many Mid-Atlantic states. This oak reaches its full potential in moist, acidic soils and can commonly be found in lowlands, floodplains and wetland areas.

Identifying Characteristics and Size: Pin oaks can grow to around 70 feet tall with a canopy that spans up to 40 feet across. The drooping lower limbs of this oak help fill out its oblong crown. The bark of the pin oak is dark gray to dark brown in color with a relatively smooth appearance and slight ridges throughout the bark of its trunk and older branches. The leaves of this oak are often irregular in shape. They can have five to seven lobes with deep, rounded cuts into the center of the leaf between lobes. Lobes can be tipped with multiple smaller, barb-like lobes or form a single point at their tip. It takes two years for a pin oak to develop its acorns, which are fairly round in shape with caps that cover 1/4 to 1/3 of the medium, brown-colored nut.

Location: The red oak grows across much of the eastern and midwestern regions of the U.S. It prefers rich, moist, well-drained soils and full to partial sunlight, but it can do well in drier soils, too, and younger trees are shade-tolerant.

Identifying Characteristics and Size: This large oak can reach heights of more than 90 feet with a broad, rounded crown that spans up to 70 feet across. The bark of a mature red oak is gray with dark, shallow furrows running through it lengthwise. Young red oaks have bark that is lighter gray and so shiny that it can appear reflective. Like the red oak’s overall stature, its leaves are large and broad. They alternate on the twig and can have seven to 11 lobes with tips that are pointed or have a series of much smaller pointed lobes within them. The curved recesses between each lobe are moderate in depth, giving the body of these leaves their broad appearance. These oaks are known for producing large acorns that generally drop earlier in the year than other species of oaks. This can make their mast crop one of the prime food sources for deer in late summer, just as some archery seasons are getting underway.

Location: The sawtooth oak is native to Asia and was introduced to the U.S. in the 1920s. Today it can be found scattered across much of the eastern half of the country. This oak prefers moist, well-drained soils but can thrive in fairly poor soil conditions. Young trees are shade tolerant, but this oak does best in full sunlight.

Identifying Characteristics and Size: The sawtooth oak grows to around 60 feet tall and 60 feet across. Its broad branches start very low on the trunk, giving it the appearance of a giant shrub. The bark of a mature tree is dark gray to dark brown in color with deep ridges and a rough texture and appearance. The leaves of this oak are unique, as they aren’t lobed like most oak leaves; instead they are oblong, with a tapered single point. The name is derived from the bristled edge profile of these leaves, which resemble the teeth on a saw blade. The sawtooth oak’s acorns are also different, resembling the bur oak. The cap of this fruit covers nearly all of the nut, with hair-like fibers protruding from the cap’s end. These trees take two years to develop their generally heavy mast crop, which drops earlier in the year than many other oak species.

Location: The scarlet oak grows in open areas throughout the eastern half of the U.S., and it thrives in dry, acidic soils. It is drought resistant but can still do well in moist, well-drained soils. Young trees can tolerate shade, but it does best in full to partial sunlight.

Identifying Characteristics and Size: Scarlet oaks can reach heights of more than 70 feet with a sprawling canopy that spans 60 feet or more across. Its branches start fairly low on the trunk and often nearly reach the ground as they spread outward. The dark gray to medium brown bark of this oak is relatively thin, with moderately deep grooves and ridges running within it. The leaves of the scarlet oak closely resemble those of the pin oak, with five to seven lobes and deep curved recesses between lobes. Each lobe’s point can vary, with some terminating at a single point and others featuring a series of smaller, pointed lobes. As a member of the red oak group, this tree takes two years to develop its mast, which can be identified by its cap that has a rounded point at its top and a nut with curved or circle patterns at its tip.

Location: The shingle oak can be found throughout the Midwest, where early settlers used its wood to make shingles for cabins and homes. This oak prefers moist, well-drained soils but can still flourish in dry and poor soil conditions. The adaptability of this tree leads to it being found in open areas and heavily forested landscapes alike. It prefers full to partial sunlight but young trees are shade tolerant.

Identifying Characteristics and Size: A mature shingle oak can grow to 60 feet tall with a broad, open top that can span more than 70 feet. The bark of this oak is fairly thin and gray to brown in color, with shallow grooves. The shingle oak is the only common oak found in the Midwest that has leaves with a smooth edge profile. These leaves are long and narrow, tapering gently to a single point at their tip. The acorns of this oak take two years to develop and are medium-sized, oblong in shape with a rounded point, and a cap that covers roughly 1/3 of the nut.

Location: The Shumard oak is predominantly found in the South, from the Carolinas to Texas and as far North as Ohio. This oak thrives in rich, moist, well-drained soils but is fairly drought resistant and can still do well in dry conditions. Shumard oaks are commonly found along floodplains and in riparian areas where they receive full to partial sunlight.

Identifying Characteristics and Size: These large oaks can reach heights of more than 90 feet with an open crown made up of a few huge branches that can span up to 60 feet. The dark gray bark of this oak has deep grooves and ridges on the trunk and large branches, while smaller branches will be lighter gray in color with a smooth texture and shiny look. The Shumard oak’s broad leaves have five to 11 lobes that terminate in a series of smaller bristled lobes. The depth of the curves between lobes can vary greatly from tree to tree, ranging from shallow to 1/3 of the way to the center of the leaf. It takes two years for the Shumard oak to develop its acorns, which have flat to moderately rounded caps that cover roughly 1/3 of the nut. This nut is slightly oblong in shape and has a rounded tip.

Location: The swamp white oak grows throughout the central and northeastern U.S. It prefers moist soils but can withstand seasonal drought. It is commonly found in wetlands, swamps, riparian areas and near bodies of water. The swamp white oak can tolerate shade when it’s young, but does best in full to partial sunlight.

Identifying Characteristics and Size: A mature swamp white oak can reach heights of 60 feet or more, with a round, open crown that spans up to 60 feet across. The bark on this tree’s trunk is generally light gray in color with moderately deep grooves and ridges running through it. The bark found on its smaller branches is often flaky in appearance and light gray in color. The leaves of a swamp white oak are sharply wedge-shaped at their bases and become progressively wider near their ends. The full body of these leaves makes it easy to identify a swamp white oak from a white oak. The edge profile of these leaves is made up of a series of shallow, wave-like curves with a curved or bluntly rounded tip. The acorns of this oak only take one year to develop, and they drop in early to mid-fall, making them a great food source for deer that are transitioning from summer feeding patterns. The nut of the acorn is rich brown in color, with a cap that covers 1/3 of the nut and has a long stem that connects it to the tree’s twigs.

Location: The white oak is found throughout the eastern half of the U.S. in a variety of landscapes. It prefers moist, well-drained soils but can adapt to drier conditions. White oaks are commonly found in dry forest, moist wood lots and timbered hillsides. Young trees are shade tolerant but do best in full to partial sunlight.

Identifying Characteristics and Size: Mature white oaks can reach massive size with their sprawling canopy growing to more than 80 feet tall and giant limbs spanning 100 feet across. The trunks of older white oaks are typically short and stout with impressive horizontal limbs that spread outward farther than most other oak species. The bark of a mature white oak is light gray in color with deep grooves and pronounced ridges creating a rough texture and almost shaggy appearance. The leaves of a white oak have between five and seven lobes with moderately deep, curved recesses between them. The edge profile of the white oak leaf is made up of these flowing curved lobes with a rounded lobe at its tip and a sharply pointed wedge at its base. The white oak develops its mast crop in only one year, producing acorns that are brown to orange in color. The caps of these acorns cover roughly 1/3 of the nut, and the tip of the nut is commonly blunt and rounded.

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