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Large Oak Tree Identification

MattB (Zone 7a Tn)

7 years ago

I have driven by this large oak tree and finally decided to stop and look closer at it. This tree is located towards the top of a hill in zone 7a in Tennessee.

It is definitely in the red oak family, based off the coarse back I noticed during the winter, I was going to guess Northern Red, but the leaves look a little too narrow. Possibly a Pin Oak or Scarlet Oak, but I have never seen them with this coarse bark.

As you can see from the pictures, it is quite massive, with a pretty disfigured crown with a lot of old large branches having been removed. I was not able to find an actual acorn, but I found plenty of caps, which were pretty small.

I happened to have a flexible 100 ft tape with me and measured the DBH at 283 inches! This could almost put this tree in state champion status.

-Matt

Featured Answer

viper114

7 years ago

just a baby compared to the ones Bartram described in his travels of early America …"To keep within the bounds of truth and reality, in describing the magnitude and grandeur of these trees, would, I fear, fail of credibility; yet, I think I can assert, that many of the black oaks measured, eight, nine, ten, and eleven feet in diameter five feet above the ground, as we measured several that were above thirty feet girt, and from whence they ascend perfectly strait, with a gradual taper, forty or fifty feet to the limbs; but, below five or six feet, these trunks would measure a third more in circumference, on account of the projecting jambs, or supports, which are more or less, according to the number of horizontal roots, that they arise from."

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Comments (16)

lucky_p
7 years ago
Looks like Black oak, Q. velutina, to me.
hairmetal4ever
7 years ago
I was leaning Shumard until I saw the acorn caps.
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Thank you so much for your responses. It hasn't produced any acorns yet this year (unless I find an old buried one from the squirrels) but I will post a better picture of the bark and leaves. The lower small branches do die off quick and the live larger ones droop and even though we prune it extends quickly. I will have to try to see the top of the tree and view how the branches are.
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zone 6 covers a wide swath. It's helpful if you put something in your line, or at least the post, to let us know where you are located. Are these 'growing wild', or are they 'specimen' trees? could be Turkey oak, Q.cerris, if they're landscape trees, and not just 'wild natives'.
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Sure looks like Bur oak but the acorns are much larger right now in N.Tx. I planted acorns in 1991 that came true and bear acorns larger than golf balls same as mother tree. I have Live Oak with 3 distintly different shaped leaves all grown with acorns from same tree, I have volunteers with lobed leaves similar to Bur except lobs arn't as deep and presist long after Burs have turned brown. Tree is much faster growing than typical volunteer Burs,twigs show no sign of wings and bark isn't as deeply furrowed as Bur. Only other oak within less than 1.5 miles are Shummard. Are the twigs winged on your NY tree?
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If the tree has acorns, then it must be an oak. A more thorough description of the leaves would probably help you get more responses regarding ID. I'd guess that you are seeing Willow Oak, which is very common in landscaping. Willow oak is deciduous and should be losing its leaves sometime soon. Questions to answer about the leaves include: What shape are the leaves (typical oak leaf shape? oval? heart shaped? lance shape?), what are the edges like (teeth or no teeth? large or small teeth?) are the leaves thick and leathery or thin like a maple leaf?
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kentrees12
7 years ago
I've got a couple on my place in MidTenn. I call them black oak. They look slightly different than the ones I knew in southern New England. If you can reach a small branch scrape the bark, yellow will confirm species.
bengz6westmd
7 years ago
Agree w/Q velutina. Don't know about TN, but they prb'ly have some organization to identify and nominate trees for champions.
MattB (Zone 7a Tn)
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks for the input. Q Velutina does look promising. I will have to try the bark test the next time I am by it.

I looked up the state info on the champion trees. The currently listed champion Q. Velutina is 277 DBH, but this was measured in 1998. Either way, not considering the crown spread and height, this is still one impressive tree, that if not a champion is nipping at the heels of one.
PRO
Caldwell Home & Garden
7 years ago
it's a pin oak. we have them growing everywhere around here
wisconsitom
7 years ago
@ Viper: Love the writings of Bartram. Oh to have seen the SE as he was able to!
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
7 years ago
(Caldwell, there is absolutely nothing about the tree that should make you think of Pin Oaks.)

It's a beauty, that's for sure!
kentrees12
7 years ago
Agree, not a pin oak.
poaky1
7 years ago
If there is a slightly fuzzyhairdness under the leaves it is Q. Velutina, if not, then Q. Rubra. That's what I've been told before.
bengz6westmd
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
poaky, not Q rubra -- leaves aren't right (not enough lobes & indents between lobes too deep).
MattB (Zone 7a Tn)
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks again for all the help. The clues all continue to point to Q. Velutina

I have not had time to check the bark yet, but the bottom side of the leaf is for sure velvety feeling. I did not originally notice it but after comparing it to a known pin oak, the difference was stark.
ruff78
7 years ago
You measured with a Diameter tape? It looks like Q. Velutina to me. Beautiful tree.
MattB (Zone 7a Tn)
Original Author
7 years ago
You measured with a Diameter tape? It looks like Q. Velutina to me. Beautiful tree.

You got me on that one, I meant to say the circumference at breast height was 283 inches, not diameter. This works out to right around a 7.5 ft diameter. There is just something about large old oak trees. Even with their gnarled features and obvious issues, they are still captivating.
bengz6westmd
7 years ago
Matt, I'd email your state's big-tree organization w/attached pics & info & see if they'll get back to you. They're always encouraging people to nominate trees, so.....

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