Quercus alba
White Oak
Mature Size, Growth, Longevity
Average mature size of 50-80' tall and wide in the landscape, species can reach over 100' in the wild. Slow to medium growth rate, 12-15' in 10-12 years becoming very slow after 20-30 years. Long lived, 200 years or more.
Native Range
Maine to Florida west to Minn. and TX; introduced 1724.
Flower and Fruit Details
Flowers are monoecious, male catkins pendant and clustered, female solitary. Fruits are 0.75-1" acorns, solitary or paired, with a bowl-like cap.
Leaf and Bark Features
Fall color is brown to red to wine, long lasting. Bark is ashy-gray with scaly plates and fissures, variable.
Culture and Care
Prefers moist, deep, well-drained soil; pH 5.5-6.5, in full sun. Prune in early spring. Susceptible to anthracnose, leaf scorch, cankers, leaf spots, powdery mildew,rust, wilt, decay, shoe-string root rot, galls, scales, saddleback caterpillar, oak skeletonizer, borers, miners, mites.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts
This species is the State Tree of Illinios. Used for furniture, flooring, boats, whisky barrels.