ArborNote’s Tree of the Week is the Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra). It is a native of North America, in the eastern and central United States and southeast and south-central Canada. Considered a national treasure, the northern red oak has been called “one of the handsomest, cleanest, and stateliest trees in North America” by naturalist Joseph S. Illick. It can grow between 50 to 75 feet tall and equally as wide. They are fast growing trees, reaching 16 – 20 feet tall in the first 10 years. They also can live to be around 400 years old. Northern red oak is easy to recognize by its bark, which features ridges that appear to have shiny stripes down the center. The northern red oak is one of the most important oaks for timber production in North America. Quality red oak is of high value as lumber and veneer, while defective logs are used as firewood. It also happens to be the state tree of New Jersey!