I love trees, but I am especially fond of oak. In Maine, the most common species is northern red oak, which occurs statewide and does best on rich upland soils. Scarlet oak grows only as far north as York, Cumberland and Androscoggin Counties, usually on dry ridges and uplands. In the fall, its deep scarlet leaves catch the eye as other landscape hues fade.
Black oak is found on dry ridges and gravel uplands.
The underside of its leaf is hairy while those of northern red and scarlet oaks are smooth. Swamp white oak grows in Androscoggin and York Counties in scattered groves in moist fertile soils near swamps and streams. Other oak varieties in central and southern Maine are bear oak, white oak, and bur oak. Chestnut oak grows only in very southern Maine. Wildlife use oak in many ways.