Red Oak - Quercus rubra

It is a tall fast growing tree with leaves that can be up to 22 cm long. They have a few lobes each with several teeth which have pointed whiskery tips. In summer the leaves are dark green, but paler underneath. In autumn the leaves turn a spectacular red colour. Like other oaks the flower is a catkin and the fruiting body or seed is an acorn. The trunk is smooth in young specimens and may stay smooth, but can develop a rougher texture with age.

Often planted in parks and gardens with a few examples in wooded areas.

All year round, but the display of red leaves occurs in autumn.

Deciduous.

Widespread and fairly frequent in Britain, though mainly as a planted species.

Occasional in Leicestershire and Rutland where it occurs mainly as a planted species. It was not recorded in the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire.