Look for hard, grey, scaly bark with deep grooves and ridges.


The ridges and furrows often mingle with flattened gray areas on the larger branches and the main trunk.
The color of the bark may fluctuate somewhat between oak species, but is is nearly always a shade of gray. Some oak bark is very dark, approaching black, and some bark is nearly white.
 Old-growth oaks, particularly, are distinctive for their impressive size, and in some areas (such as California's "golden hills") these behemoths dominate the landscape.


Oak trees tend to grow fairly large and round, with some reaching heights of 100 feet (30.5 m) or more. Oak trees are full and balanced, and it is not uncommon for an oak's width (including branches and foliage) to match its height.
Oak trunks can be massively thick: some species commonly boast a girth of 30 feet (9.1 m) or more. Oak trees can live for more than 200 years--some have been known to live for more than 1000 years.For the most part, the thicker the trunk, the older the tree.
The canopy of the oak tree tends to be relatively broad, which makes this tree a popular provider of shade and privacy during the summer months.
 If a tree has been felled, cut, and split, you may need to consider characteristics like the color, the smell, and the look of the grain.


Oak is one of the hardest trees, which is why its wood is a popular choice for furniture, flooring and other household amenities. Dry oak logs are prized as firewood, as they burn slowly and thoroughly.
Again, there are many species of oak, so it helps to know where the tree was felled. If you don't know where the wood came from, you may only be able to tell whether you're dealing with red or white oak. This knowledge should suffice for most non-scientific purposes.
Red oak wood will have a red tint and will dry to a slightly deeper red. White oak wood will be lighter in color.
Oak wood is often mixed up with maple, but you can distinguish the two by their scent. Maple has a sweeter smell--hence maple sugar--and oak has a heavier, smokier smell.
Consider the bark.
Consider the size of the tree.
Identify oak wood once it's been cut.
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