White Oak

White Oak     (Stave Oak)     Quercus alba L.

Mature Size: 80 to 100 feet in height, 3 to 4 feet in diameter

Form: Tall, clear, sometimes stocky trunk and rounded, spreading crown. Bark is light ash gray, covered with loose scales or broad plates.

Habitat: Grows on a wide variety of upland sites; grows best on deep, well-drained, loamy soils

Wildlife Use: Acorns are among the most valuable wildlife food sources. White oak acorns contain less tannin than acorns from other oaks, making them more palatable to many wildlife species, as well as to indigenous people and early settlers.  Young white oaks retain their leaves well into winter/early spring, providing cover and nesting material for squirrels and songbirds.

Leaves: Alternate, simple, 4 to 7 inches long, 7 to 10 rounded lobes; depth of the sinuses between lobes varies from shallow to almost reaching the midrib; leaf base is wedge-shaped where it joins the leaf stem

Fruit and Seeds: Egg-shaped to oblong acorn, 3⁄4 inch long, and light chestnut brown when ripe; cap is warty and bowl-shaped, covering one quarter of the acorn and detaching at maturity; maturing in one season

Bark: Light ash gray, covered with loose scales or broad plates