| Location |
| Between mile markers 0.25 and 0.50, closer to 0.25. |
| Fact about this tree and why it was chosen |
| Northern red oak is the most common species in the wooded areas adjacent to the Allegany River Trail. This specimen is actually a trinity of three individuals that became established in nearly the same location. They suggest a regeneration pattern that is common for plants with large seeds or fruits or the ability to reproduce from root suckers, a clumped distribution. |
| Latin name |
| Quercus rubra |
| Fun facts |
| Oak trees are the preferred host species of the gypsy moth. While oak trees are deciduous, not all leaves are shed at the end of the growing season. The enhanced concentration of lignin in the leaves makes them more difficult to decompose than leaves of other deciduous species. |
How to identify this tree: |
| Leaf |
| The leaves are simple and alternating with seven or more lobes. Lobe tips are bristled. |
| Bark |
| Northern red oak bark has long dark brown furrows alternating with grey, concave ridges. Upper reaches of the trunk can appear to have a shiny grey luster. |
| Relatives and look-alikes |
| White oak (Quercus alba) has “blocky” plates that are darker in color than the elongate ridges of northern red oak. White oak leaves lack the bristled lobe tips of northern red oak. When compared to the rounded bowl shaped caps of white oak, northern red oak acorn caps are flat and saucer shaped. |