Northern Red Oak vs Shumard Oak

These two red oaks are frequently confused where they overlap, mostly in the south-central U.S. and parts of the midwest and southeast. Both have large leaves and acorns. Although some trees are easy to tell apart, some are very similar in appearance.

Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)	Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii)
Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) A large tree and one of the major components of the forests of eastern North America, the northern red oak has a wider range than its name may suggest, extending quite far into the "deep south", but also covering a large portion of the northeastern U.S. and into Canada.	Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii) A large red oak native to calcium-rich bottomlands in the southeastern to central US.
Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) Leaves more oval-shaped, with widest point closer to the middle of the leaf. Photo © Aaron Boers, CC BY 4.0.	Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii) Leaves more wedge-shaped, with widest point closer to the tip. Photo © Nate Martineau, CC BY 4.0.

References & External Resources

These short lists show only links helpful for ID. For a complete list of references and resources also covering other aspects of ecology, visit the links section of the full article on each plant, which is the first entry here.