Quercus imbricaria
Native to central and eastern North America the shingle oak is one of the showier oak trees. Although not a huge tree, only reaching 50-60’. Unlike most oaks, the leaves on the shingle oak are not lobed resembling a willow leaf. The end of the leaf has a bristled tip, a key feature for a red oak subspecies. This species lives for around 100 years. There isn’t much for fall color but in the growing season the leaves have a very glossy look. Early settlers in North America used this tree to make shingles, leading to the common name, shingle oak. The species name imbricaria is derived from the Latin word imbricatus, which means overlapping.
