Oak Tree Facts for Kids

A Picture of an Oak Tree
  • Common Name: Oak Tree
  • Total Species: 600+
  • Genus: Quercus
  • Subfamily: Quercoideae
  • Family: Fagaceae
  • Order: Fagales

17 Oak Tree Facts for Kids

  1. Oak tree is a common name for tree species in the Quercus genus.
  2. The Quercus genus is a part of the beech family (Fagaceae).
  3. There are around 600 tree species that are considered oak trees.
  4. An oak tree can be a deciduous tree or an evergreen tree depending on the species.
  5. Oak trees can be found in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa.
  6. Fossil evidences shows that the first oak tree appeared around 45 million years ago.
  7. Oak trees have an amazing lifespan, there are many specimens verified over 500 years old and there are some species that can live well over 1,000 years in ideal conditions.
  8. Oak trees are most well-known for their lobate leaves and the acorns they produce.
  9. The acorn is the fruit of an oak tree and contains one seed.
  10. The timber from an oak tree is prized for its hardness and strength.
  11. Oak tree populations are declining around the world due to deforestation, disease and pests.
  12. Oak trees can be killed by the water mold Phytophthora ramorum (sudden oak death) in a few weeks.
  13. Oak trees can be damaged by the eastern grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). They like to strip the bark off oak trees, which can kill a leading shoot and reduce the size of its crown.
  14. Cork flooring, a sustainable and renewable floor material is obtained from the cork oak tree (Quercus suber).
  15. The live oak tree is the state tree of the U.S. state of Georgia.
  16. One of the trees with the biggest crown in the world is a Sand post oak (Quercus stellata margarettae) tree. It’s located in Gilchrist County, Florida, United States with a crown measuring 181 feet.
  17. One of the trees with the thickest limbs in the world is a White oak (Quercus alba) tree. It was in Wye Mills, Maryland, United States and had a limb with a diameter of 6 feet.

Additional Resources on Oak Trees

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