Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)

With a native range across central-eastern North America, this deciduous member of the red oak group is nearly ubiquitous throughout New England forests. It has also been cultivated as an ornamental plant for gardens and parks in Europe, where it has become a prevalent invasive. A fast-growing and long-lived tree, some grow past 100 feet and live up to 400 years, with the ability to grow around 2 feet per year during early life. Though the leaves are often confused with black oak, mature northern red oaks have unique bark ridges with stripes down their center all the way down their brown-gray trunks.

Despite numerous biotic and abiotic stresses, from fungal infection and insect predation to limiting weather conditions, this oak has persisted through various adaptations and tolerance mechanisms. Its robustness and success are advanced by symbiotic fungi that promote growth while inhabiting their root systems and trunk bases. Yet, despite adaptations among specimens in the northeast to produce smaller acorns, their seedlings still have a high mortality rate due to spring freezes in this region.