A look at the different types of oak in the world and their uses.

 

What Kind of Oak is That?

How to tell what kind of English oak you have: A blog about the kinds of oak found in England as well as a guide for identifying the type of oak.

1) English Oak - - -

Ever wondered what the different types of English oak are? You're not alone. In fact, there's so much confusion about these trees that many people use the term 'English oak' and 'English red oak' interchangeably to refer to both Quercus robur (the English - and native - oak) and Quercus petraea (the English red - or European - oak).

Quercus robur (English Oak)

Quercus robur (Common name: English Oak, Juniper Oak, Pedunculate oak) is a member of the white oak family and an evergreen plant. It has flat, dark green leaves that are five lobed and have short petioles and a leathery texture. It gives off a scent similar to grape wine when crushed and can grow up to 40m tall in sandy soils. Quercus robur is native to Western Europe, particularly the United Kingdom, France and Spain. Used widely in furniture making, internal and external construction and for making wooden boxes, kitchenware and keepsakes, thanks to its beautiful grain, gorgeous colour and tight, hard grain..

Quercus petraea

Quercus petraea is a type of oak tree that is native to France. There are a number of varieties in this species, however, and they are more commonly known as English oaks due to them being imported into the UK during the 17th century.

Mature trees of the ​Quercus petraea can reach heights of up to 37m, with a girth at breast height (1.3m) of 170cm for mature specimens. Girth measurements of up to 300cm are recorded for individual oak trees.

2) American Oak - - - -

There are many types of oak tree in North America. Some of the most common oak varieties found in North America are: Pin oak, Red oak, Sweet white oak, Willow oak, White oak, Bur oak, Sugarberry and Black locust.

Pin Oak

Pin Oak is a type of oak tree that grows mainly in the eastern half of the United States. Most Pin Oak trees are native to New England states, though they can be found from southern Pennsylvania all the way down through the Carolinas. Some other common names for Pin Oak include Black Oak, Yellow Hammer and Northern Red Oak.

Red Oak (Quercus rubra)

The Red Oak tree is a medium sized deciduous hardwood, with typically grows 75-80 feet tall and 50-60 feet wide. Red oak trees are native to much of the eastern U.S and have an interesting genetic history of parentage. As the name would suggest, Red Oak has a reddish-brown tinted wood although it can also be a light tan colour.

The Quercus rubra, commonly known as Red Oak is one of the most common trees in America. It can grow from 70 to more than 200 ft (21 to 60 m). The leaves are dark green and glossy above, with a single blunt lobe and sometimes three lobes below. On young trees up to 15 ft (4.5 m) high, they are stalked; on larger trees they are not stalked. The winter buds are either brown or covered with an oily resin. The acorns usually mature during the middle of the summer

One of the more unique characteristics of Red Oak is the appearance of small vertical grain lines that run along the lengths of Red Oak lumber. A few common red oak varieties are Blackjack, Butler, Durand, English, Garnett, Schley and Whitebark which all get their names from individual towns in some part or another in which they're grown commercially.

Sweet White Oak (Quercus alba)

Sweet white oak (Quercus alba) is an oak species native to the United States. Often used for flooring and furniture, it can grow up to 25 feet tall with acorns that grow up to 3 inches long.

Sweet White Oak is used for barrels for ageing whiskey or bourbon and is also a favourite for brandy barrels since the wood does not add its own taste to the brandy. Sweet White grows in the southeastern United States from Georgia to northern Florida and along the Mississippi river through eastern Louisiana into Arkansas. It is also found in Central and Southern Mexico. The trees are largest in diameter at about 80 years of age but can grow up to 400 years old, occasionally reaching 500 years.

Willow Oak

Willow Oak (Quercus phellos) is a small- to medium-sized tree. It has an extremely large distribution in North America as it can be found from Nova Scotia and Newfoundland down to Florida, and from New Jersey west to Nebraska. It can grow in areas that are far from any ocean since it was named for being one of the most common types of oak that grows along willow banks in eastern North America.

Willow oak was named for its leaves that look like willow leaves. Its wood has good strength, stiffness and hardness. It is used for applications where strength, hardness, stability and abrasion resistance are needed.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this list will come in handy for anyone needing to identify the various oak varieties around them. While there are many, varied uses for different oak varieties, their common physical traits still allow for easy identification. The best way to identify the particular type of oak is to examine those traits, along with any evidence of wood grain. You can then determine which variety of oak you have in front of you.