So Many Oaks So Little Time

Yesterday I wrote about how folklore played a role in weather forecasting before the advent of the computer model and satellite imagery. So the next question I had to ask myself was: what kind of oak trees do I have out and about my yard and neighborhood? Once again as I was taking my afternoon walk, I kept an eye out for different oak trees and collected samples. I rushed back home to my trusty computer to search for identification help. I found a very useful field guide from the USDA Forest Service for the eastern part of the country. The photos, descriptions, and maps were a big help in identifying the branches that I had brought home. One lesson that I learned was next time I want to identify a tree properly I need to photograph the tree trunks so I can use the bark's appearance to assist in the identification. That does raise a problem in that several of my samples came off of immature trees which wouldn't have the characteristic bark patterns of their elders. Here's what I came up with. If I'm wrong please remember that I am not a trained botanist or a forest ecologist, but rather an avid amateur.


Bear or Scrub Oak



Black Oak



White oak



Northern Red Oak



Swamp White Oak