Home >> Science & Nature >> Nature

How to Identify Different Types of Oaks

While all oak trees start as tiny acorns, there are roughly 500 individual species of oak scattered across the globe. Learning to identify every species simply by sight would require thousands of hours of study and a powerful memory, but there's no reason you can't try to learn the basics. If you are curious about how to tell one oak tree from another, there are several simple ways to analyze a tree that can help you better understand its story.

Instructions

- 1
  Pluck a leaf from the tree or get as close as you can to one that is still on a branch.
- 2
  Note the shape of the leaf. A perfect, rounded leaf is likely a live oak. Northern red oaks have wide leaves with sharp edges, pin oaks have thin, pointed leaves, and white oak leaves have rounded bumps.
- 3
  Consider the habitat of your tree. For example, swamp chestnut oaks are normally found in low-lying and wet areas, while the mountain chestnut oak sticks to high elevations and dry climates.
- 4
  Pick up an acorn if you can find one somewhere under the tree.
- 5
  Examine the acorn for identifying qualities. For example, if the acorn cup covers more than half of the acorn body, you may have a scarlet oak. If the cup covers only one-third of the acorn, it could be a shumard oak.

Nature