Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) vs. Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)

These trees are sometimes confused, mainly because they are both common in landscaping and both have pointy-lobed leaves, but they are easily distinguished by leaves, acorns, and growth habit. In the wild, pin oak is found on wetter, sunnier sites and northern red oak on drier, more shaded sites, with relatively little overlap in habitat.

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