This deciduous tree is in the red oak group native to the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. It grows up to 140 feet tall. The tree can grow relatively fast, with a 10- year-old tree reaching  a height of 20 feet. Northern red oaks can live up to 300 hundred years. The bark features ridges with shiny stripes down the center; it is the only oak where the so-called “ski slopes” run all the way down the trunk. The Northern red oak is the second most important timber tree in North America. The lumber is good for veneer, furniture, and trim, while defective wood is used for firewood. They are often grown in parks and large gardens as specimen trees and are not often transplanted because the roots grow laterally rather than vertically.