Stats

Lifespan: Up to 500 yrs
Size: Large
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Temperate broadleaf forest
Range: North America
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Toxins
Status: Common

About

One of eastern North America's fastest-growing oaks, the northern red oak can put on three feet of height in a single season and ignites brilliant crimson in autumn. Its large spiky-lobed leaves and chunky acorns take two full growing seasons to ripen, making them a slow-burn but vital food source for forest wildlife.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fagales
Family: Fagaceae
Genus: Quercus
Species: Quercus rubra