Is that really a pin oak, or is it a scarlet oak? I just wonder - I've never seen a pin oak that red before. Beautiful colors!

I didn't plant it, but, I'm pretty sure its a Pin oak. BUT, that pic is basically backlit. The sun is shining through the leaves.

I'll dig up a more conventional pic I took of the tree the same day and post it for what it migh be worth.

Here's a couple more of that tree . Some years it gest pretty bright. This year was about an 8 out of 10 for it.

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Wow fantastic colours, thanks for finding the Gallery-we need more people in here!

I'm with greenlarry! Wow!

Well thanks guys. That is very kind of you. Here are some more pics of my CP's and W Hawhthorns from 3 falls ago. The color was addressed a little with editing on the CP's, but, the pics still were not as bright as the trees that year (I needed to be a better photographer). They were just neon that year. Less so since. But, I'm still waiting for another banner year. :)

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wow cant believe those reds! The second pic there reminds me of a Sumach!

rcnaylor, I can't tell for sure, but that oak's leaves & especially branching (not sure about the acorns) do look more like Scarlet than Pin oak.

Thanks for the imput guys. I'll do a little more checking now that you mention it. It was here when I moved in and I tentatively ID'd it as a Pin Oak. But, I'll try to do a little more comparing now that you guys have suggested Scarlet oak.

For those inclined to help confirm the identity of my oak, here are a few more pics. On its overall form, note I have limbed up the lower brances in the last couple of years to keep them off the storage shed next to it. The larger acorn in on pic is a burr oak, for size comparison.

All the pics are clickable to a larger size.

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Here is the one I inteded

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Oak IDing can be hard. I notice the leaves look different on different branches, which make it harder.

Nice snowfall, btw.

The crown/branches don't look like Pin oak, but the bottom pic of the trunk bark does. But many young "red" oaks' trunks look similar at that age. Acorn doesn't look like Pin either -- too big and elongated. Also, I don't think it passes for N. Red oak -- leaves too deeply cut & acorns not big & fat enough. So what's reasonably left?

Shumard
Texas Shumard (var. texana)
Scarlet
Nuttall
Northern Pin
Black
Cherrybark
Turkey (Q. laevis)

Between those I'd guess Shumard or Scarlet. Can't rule out various hybrid possibilities either.