The native Shumard oak is a member of the red oak group and produces acorns biennially. Like others in the red oak group, the lobed leaves have sharp, pointy contours. The Shumard oak has a pyramidal habit when young but matures to a more rounded shape. Fall color is a spectacular scarlet red.

The genus Quercus includes more than 600 species of the oak tree, of which 90 are native to North America; the Chicago Botanic Garden's collection contains more than 60 varieties and over 1,000 individual trees. Twenty oak species are native to Illinois.

Oaks are slow growing, long lived, hard wood trees that produce fruit we all know as acorns. Within the white oak group, acorns mature annually; in the red oak group, acorns take two years to mature (biennial). Oaks are often imposing shade trees at maturity and provide habitat and food for a variety of wildlife.