The Shingle Oak is a subset member (with lobeless leaves) of the red oak group. The tree is medium height (50 feet) with a bole diameter of three feet. The trunk is dark with irregular grooves. Leaves are three inches long and have points at the tip. They are shiny on top and very hairy underneath. The acorns are more than half-inch in diameter with large bowl-like caps. Twigs are hairless and have small, silky buds that grow at angles to the stem.

The growing region is from Arkansas to Pennsylvania. Oak is a hardwood providing a major portion of the annual lumber in the United States. Pioneers used the wood to make shakes and shingles for the roof and walls of log cabins. Oak trees are generally slow-growing and long-lived and tend to be relatively resistant to diseases and insects. Tannin is a major produce from oak bark.