Creative Woodworks & crafts 2005-06, страница 49

Top of Red Oak leaf

The northern species (Northern Red. Black, and Scarlet) can he found growing from Maine and a little south of Canada, to west of the Mississippi River, and south to nearly the Gulf of Mexico. They prefer sloping ground with rich soil. The southern species (Shumard, Southern, & Cherryhark) differ some what in that Shumard can be found in lower elevations and near streams, whereas the other two prefer ground similar to the northern species.

All of these species live several hundred years and grow lo heights around 100 feel, with diameters at breast height (DBH) up to six feet. To say the least, they are stately trees and are used extensively as ornamentals.

A note to you out there who harvest your own trees. Observe, in the photo of the red oak, the dead leaner on the left side and the dead tree on the right side of the red oak. This is a hazardous take-down, because if you were to cut the red oak without removing the dead "widow makers," there is a belter than 80% chance you will be injured or killed. If you do not understand what 1 am taLking about at this point, walk away from situations like this. Both dead poles are interlocked within the limbs of the target tree, and regardless of the direction you choose to fell it, you will not have a safe exit route. Working with situations like til is cannot be learned by reading and looking at a lew photographs: they require PROPER on-site inslruc-lion followed up with years of experience jusl lo give you a little belter odds. 1 don't know of anyone that cuts or has cut timber for profit that has not been injured, myself included, and every year, some are killed.

Red oak leaves are hairless, whereas the black oak leaves are somewhat hairy underneath. The sear-Ict oak leaves (not shown) are deeply lobed. unlike these.

Most of the species in this group can be distinguished by the appearance of their bark and leaves. Red oak has obvious furrows and ridges, whereas the black oak has more of a "blocky" appearance. However, they do hybridize, and individual characteristics seem to blend together. In that case, consider them just that, a red/black hybrid. 'I he bark has been used throughout history for tanning leather because of its high content of tannin.

Oaks are monoecious, which means that I hey have flowers of bolh sexes on the same tree, and bloom in April or May.

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