What kind of oak is this? I know it is in the Red Oak Family. The tree leafs have just little similarities to a Southern Red Oak but the bark and branch structure looks just like a Water or Willow Oak. I'm thinking it might be a hybrid? But I don't know for sure which two kind of trees it would be. Most of leafs on it look like a ghost or a cross shape and many have somewhat long leaf stems. Here are the leafs off of it: http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/635/oakzf6.jpg And the acorns that are around 1/2" long: http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/2254/jygn3.jpg All the Red Oaks that grow in the woods here in N. AL are: Southern Red Oak –- have these Willow oak -- Have a couple of these about 400 feet away Northern Red oak -- have these Black Oak -- have these Shumard Oak --have these Scarlet Oak -- might have these Cherrybark Oak -- never have seen one Water Oak-- several miles away Nine hybrids of southern red oak have been recognized (10). They are crosses with Q. ilicifolia, (Q. x caesariensis Moldenke); Q. imbricaria (Q. x anceps Palmer); Q. incana (Q. x subintegra Trel.); Q. laevis (Q. x blufftonensis Trel.); Q. laurifolia (Q. x beaumontiana Sarg.); Q. marilandica; Q. nigra (Q. x garlandensis Palmer); Q. phellos (Q. x ludoviciana Sarg.); Q. velutina (Q. x wildenowiana (Dippel) Zabel, Q. x pinetorum Moldenke). It's a strange tree knowing the names of about 90% of the trees in my woods, I have never seen a tree like this. I was thinking it might be a hybrid between a willow oak and a southern red oak show in this picture but I'm not sure: http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/qufaph3205.jpg http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/quph.html Thanks for any help.
I think you might have found your cherrybark oak. The leaves look just like the ones in an old tree book, Knowing Your Trees as well as images on the Internet. USDA site... Quercus pagoda. Synonyms: Q. falcata var. leucophylla, Q. falcata var. pagodifolia, Q pagodifolia.
I've thought of it being a Cherrybark Oak but I'm pretty sure it's not one because it does not have the familiar bark of which looks a lot like Black Cherry bark. Like I said the bark looks like a water or willow oak. It's a strange oak. Bark: http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/qupa4467.jpg http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/qupa.html
I just found a forum where they discuss tree identification, oak hybrids, etc. that you might want to post to. The National Arbor Day Foundation Message Board.
