According to Rhoads and Block (The Plants of Pennsylvania 2007) there are 19 species of Quercus in Pennsylvania: Sawtooth Oak (planted or escaped), White Oak, Swamp White Oak, Scarlet Oak, Southern Red Oak, Scrub Oak, Shingle Oak, Bur Oak, Blackjack Oak, Chestnut Oak, Yellow Oak, Pin Oak, Willow Oak, Dwarf Chestnut Oak, English Oak (planted or escaped), Northern Red Oak, Shumard Oak, Post Oak, and Black Oak.
Several of these I am unfamiliar with, mostly because they occur in the southern part of the state or other areas that I am less familiar with and some because I have not seen them often enough. Besides, many Oaks I have met I have remained tentative to identify with certainty because of an inability to see certain characteristics (because the canopy was high, or the acorns weren't in season, and such) and because of my lack of understanding of Oak hybridization. Apparently, Oaks hybridize fairly easily. Mostly, this occurs at the edge of species' ranges where individual trees might be separated from others of the same species while surrounded by other species. In such a case a tree will cross with another species in order to reproduce.
Although Oak identification has distinct difficulties, recognizing an Oak to genus is relatively simple and a few of our common species can easily be learned. Oaks are divided into two groups. White Oaks have round leaf lobes and produce acorns every year. Red Oaks have pointed lobes and produce acorns on two year cycles. Red Oaks are also known as Black Oaks. Usually, this depends on whether the region has Red Oak (Quercus rubra) or Black Oak (Quercus velutina) as a dominant species. Red Oak, though, can also be used with the somewhat politically incorrect mnemonic that the white man shot bullets, which are round, while the red man shot arrows, which are pointed.
Check out the USDA map for these two species. By zooming in on the map county level distribution is shown.
http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=QURU
http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=QUVE
You might also note that the above-mentioned taxonomic complexity is further illustrated with two varieties of Red Oak. Red Oak is dominant in the parts of our region I am familiar with, though Black Oak does occur. Others in the group, which also hybridize with Red Oak, include Scarlet Oak and Scrub Oak.
http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=QUCO2
http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=QUIL
Red Oaks are considered less desirable than Whites as a source of acorns, mostly because of their fruiting cycle and higher tannin content. Tannins make acorns astringent. Fortunately, they can be leached out with cold water. Since White Oaks produce less astringent acorns they are more efficient to prepare.
White Oak is a common species of our forests. It is a beautiful and important tree, producing superior acorns and hard wood for craft and fuel. White Oak is an ideal firewood from our area.
http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=QUAL
For medicinal virtue, it is the tannins that we give credit. All Oaks have astringency, which we usually find in the bark or acorns for medicinal use. I assume the leaves are plenty astringent too, but know little of their constituency besides and do not make use of them. In the bark and acorns we find a pretty pure astringent that can be used practically whenever astringency is called for in the preparation.
The Cherokee used White Oak to treat diarrhea, mouth sores, chapped skin, fevers, indigestion, debility, asthma, milky urine, and lost voice. The Lenape used for cough, sore throats, gynecological problems, bruises, ulcers, Huoma used as an antirheumatic. Iroquois used for loneliness and consumption. Mohegan used for muscular pains, colds,
Scrub Oak was used by the Iroquois.
Although Oak identification has distinct difficulties, recognizing an Oak to genus is relatively simple and a few of our common species can easily be learned. Oaks are divided into two groups. White Oaks have round leaf lobes and produce acorns every year. Red Oaks have pointed lobes and produce acorns on two year cycles. Red Oaks are also known as Black Oaks. Usually, this depends on whether the region has Red Oak (Quercus rubra) or Black Oak (Quercus velutina) as a dominant species. Red Oak, though, can also be used with the somewhat politically incorrect mnemonic that the white man shot bullets, which are round, while the red man shot arrows, which are pointed.
Check out the USDA map for these two species. By zooming in on the map county level distribution is shown.
http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=QURU
http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=QUVE
You might also note that the above-mentioned taxonomic complexity is further illustrated with two varieties of Red Oak. Red Oak is dominant in the parts of our region I am familiar with, though Black Oak does occur. Others in the group, which also hybridize with Red Oak, include Scarlet Oak and Scrub Oak.
http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=QUCO2
http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=QUIL
Red Oaks are considered less desirable than Whites as a source of acorns, mostly because of their fruiting cycle and higher tannin content. Tannins make acorns astringent. Fortunately, they can be leached out with cold water. Since White Oaks produce less astringent acorns they are more efficient to prepare.
White Oak is a common species of our forests. It is a beautiful and important tree, producing superior acorns and hard wood for craft and fuel. White Oak is an ideal firewood from our area.
http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=QUAL
For medicinal virtue, it is the tannins that we give credit. All Oaks have astringency, which we usually find in the bark or acorns for medicinal use. I assume the leaves are plenty astringent too, but know little of their constituency besides and do not make use of them. In the bark and acorns we find a pretty pure astringent that can be used practically whenever astringency is called for in the preparation.
The Cherokee used White Oak to treat diarrhea, mouth sores, chapped skin, fevers, indigestion, debility, asthma, milky urine, and lost voice. The Lenape used for cough, sore throats, gynecological problems, bruises, ulcers, Huoma used as an antirheumatic. Iroquois used for loneliness and consumption. Mohegan used for muscular pains, colds,
Scrub Oak was used by the Iroquois.
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