As many as 60 type of oaks rise native to North America , with 41 species light upon Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree form , states " Tree of North America . " The distinctive oak features alternative leaves , with the foliage commonly large and originate one to a node on branchlet and branch . Oaks have unisexual flowers known as catkin and produce a fruit resembling a nut called an acorn . To tell the oaks aside , you must focus aid to the shapes , color and sizes of an array of aspects .

Step 1

Distinguish the cast of the oak foliage . Most oak will have leaves that either have round out lobes or indicate lobes , with the point - lobate leaves possessing petite bristle on their tips . The rounded lobes belong to a group of oaks called white oaks , while the bristle - tipped pointed - lobed leave of absence highlight the red oak chemical group .

Step 2

front for oak tree leaf from the white and red oak group with unorthodox shapes that do not conform to into the lobed or pointed - folio categories . The chestnut oaks of the white oak group have oblong leaves with serrated edges . oak of the red oak division , such as willow oak , have minute smooth - edged leaves . The unrecorded oaks , which are also part of the red oak family and retain their leave of absence through the winter calendar month , have blockheaded elliptic leave , with some species owning folio that have the shape of holly .

Step 3

Estimate the tree top when trying to classify an oak metal money . Some can grow to exceed 100 foot ; white oak and overcup oak tree are two type that mature this high . Others are intermediate in size of it , such as northerly red oak and chinkapin oak , with maximum heights in the 70 to 80 infantry range . Other oak , particularly the live oak , are in the 40 to 60 human foot range with a spread crown of arm . Several oak coinage develop to scarcely 20 or 30 foot , with the pirate flag oak , turkey oak and bear oak tree in that social class .

Step 4

Compare the acorns of oak , look at their lengths and their caps — the small cupful - like development that brood the top of the yield and attach it to the twig . You will quickly recognize a burr oak , for instance , by noticing a rough frilly cap encompass almost the entire fruit . The overcup oak ’s acorn has a tough scaly cap that surrounds its whole consistence . The acorn of a swamp chestnut tree oak tree has a distance of about 1 - 1/2 inches , with the cap snuff it a third of the room down the acorn .

Step 5

Study the acorn that are still on the oak tree to gain insight into whether an oak is a red oak or ashen oak tree , which helps you with your oak species recognition . Look for acorns of dissimilar sizes on the same Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , which point an oak tree is part of the red oak family . Their acorns require two twelvemonth to amply mature , ensue in the older larger acorns still hang onto the leg as the first - year acorns modernize . The white oak ’s acorns need only one growing season to mature before they fall off .

Step 6

Inspect the bark of the oak tree , proceed such characteristic as color and texture in mind . The red-faced oaks most often have a rugged and deep ridge gray to dark-brown - gray barque . The white oaks will have a more scaley bark with a light gray complexion .

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