By any standard, the oak is a mighty tree. It is significant in sheer numbers alone, with oak trees being the most widespread hardwoods in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere. The oak is also impressive in stature, with species ranging in mature height from 35 to more than 100 feet and the world champion red oak living up to the Quercus' popular title as King of Trees by reaching 134 feet. Despite their great variety, oaks share several distinctive characteristics. They all grow from acorns and can live for centuries.
Most species also share a common shape, being rounded with a broadly spreading crown.
They are also damage-resistant, hardy trees that have merited admiration and respect for the shelter and many vital products their wood has long provided Americans. The Oak's Place in History Its amazing strength, beauty, and longevity have made the oak a central part of much of American history. Abraham Lincoln found his way across a river near Homer, Illinois, using the Salt River Ford Oak as a marker. The Richards White Oak in Cecil County, Maryland once served as a landmark on a 1681 map used by William Penn. Andrew Jackson took shelter under Louisiana's Sunnybrook Oaks on his way to the Battle of New Orleans.