Tall and robust trees, with spreading canopies, oaks produce thick leaves with irregular lobes. The two oaks in Nova Scotia can be distinguished by the leaf lobes, rounded or pointed. Oaks produce their staminate flowers in drooping catkins. Female flowers produce acorns. The short broad acorns belong to the English Oak and the longer more slender acorns are of the Northern Red Oak.

Northern Red Oak is native and is scattered throughout. English Oak was planted around towns and is spreading as at Mount Uniacke and Wolfville

Acorns may be eaten as nuts or ground into flour.

The bigger the cap on the acorn the higher the tannin content. As acorns contain a high tannic acid level, leaching of whole acorn must be done to remove tannins. See detailed instructions