Black Oak

Quercus velutina

Black oaks tend to grow in drier areas, like rocky ridges and slopes. You will find this particular black oak at the top of a hill in the Park Ridge East forest. I was drawn to this tree due to its sheer size: its trunk was approximately ten feet in circumference; I have no idea how tall it was, but black oaks reach an average height of fifty to eighty feet. Although I have not seen every tree in this forest, this black oak is the largest I have found to date.