You can tie a yellow ribbon ’round it, bask in its shade or eventually have flooring for your grandchildren’s living room. UINR is giving away free Mimkwonmooseel (Red Oak, Quercus rubra L.) tree planting kits throughout the spring.

117bComplete with planting instructions, a Red Oak acorn for planting, and a peat pellet–all you need to do is add water, stand back, and watch your very own Red Oak tree grow!

You can pick up your kit at the UINR office on Shore Road, Mondayâ–Friday 8:30–4:30.

Mi’kmaq people once used the Red Oak’s acorns by pounding them into a fine flour and baking it into bread. The bark was used as an astringent to treat hemorrhaging and powder made from acorns was used as a diuretic. An infusion of bark or roots was used for diarrhea.

Red Oak is a fast-growing tree and will grow in almost all well- drained soils. It can grow in full sun or light shade. The growth of a tree depends on the soil type, nutrients, water availability, and the amount of light it receives.

Northern Red Oak

From UINR Marten – Vol.4. Issue.1 – Spring 2008