Red and Eastern Oak • Quercus alba, quercus rubra
Trees & Shrubs
Conditions: Allergic rhinitis.
Symptoms: Itchy, stuffy, or runny nose; post-nasal drip; sneezing; itchy, red or watery eyes.
Physical description: Grows up to 100 feet high; rounded crown with large branches; bark is dark gray to black; wide, scaly ridges separated by shallow grooves; flat upper trunk with shiny hard flatten ridges, pink inner bark; leaves can be 4–8 inches long, 2–4 inches wide, with 7-11 lobes with bristle-tipped teeth, dull to shiny green top, gray to the light yellowish-green underside with fine dense hairs, turns red in the fall; acorns produced biennial.
Environmental factors: Has small pollen grains and a high release point; red oak pollen can travel over 120 miles.
Cross-reactivity: Beech; chestnut; fagaceae
Included species: Eastern oak, gray oak, northern red oak
References
- “Oak.”Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/oak
- “Pollen Calendar.” HollisterStier Allergy. http://www.hsallergy.com/patient-education/pollen-calendar/
- Stein, John, Denise Binion, and Robert Acciavatti. Field Guide To Native Oak Species Of Eastern North America. Morgantown: Forest Service Department of Agriculture, 2003
- “Outdoor Allergens.” American Academy Of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. https://www.aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/library/at-a-glance/ outdoor-allergens
- “Reproduction And Gene Flow In The Genus Quercus L”. Annals of Forest Science 50, Supplement 1 (1993): 91s-106s; Ducousso, A, H Michaud, and R Lumaret. https://www.afs-journal.org/articles/forest/abs/1993/07/AFS_ 0003-4312_1993_50_Suppl1_ART0008/AFS_0003-4312_1993_ 50_Suppl1_ART0008.html
- “Tables of pollen cross-reactivities for formulating allergen immunotherapy.” AInotes. https://ainotes.wikispaces.com/file/view/Allergen+Cross+ Reactivity+Table.pdf
- “Northern Red Oak.” State Symbols UAS. https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/new-jersey/ state-tree/red-oak
Did You Know?
Northern Red Oak is the state tree of New Jersey.
