Northern Red Oak, 41st Street, West Philadelphia

Foliage of a large northern red oak tree, showing large, deeply lobed leaves with sharp points, with a brick building showing behind the tree on the right

Jun 27th, 2011, by Alex Zorach

This photo shows the foliage of a large northern red oak tree, Quercus rubra, on the west side of 41st Street, between Baltimore and Chester avenues in West Philadelphia.

The northern red oak is a common tree of forests, but it often grows surprisingly well in cities as well, especially when it has ample soil to grow in. It casts dense shade and is somewhat shade-tolerant, having somewhat lower light requirements than some trees if conditions are right. It has strong wood and a sturdy structure, and tends to drop branches less than a number of other trees. It is also less likely to heave sidewalks and disrupt gardens with surface roots. However, it does grow to massive size.

When people refer to a tree simply as a "red oak", this is the "default" species people usually are referencing. It has a very large range, although the name does suggest a northerly distribution, its range stretches into most of Alabama and Arkansas as well.