White Oak

A gorgeous, enormous shade tree which can be found in steeply-sloping forests as well as both bottomlands and uplands. This may be one of the most well-known native trees in this part of the country. Flowers are unremarkable and wind-pollinated (March-April), and (of course) ultimately become acorns. Leaves are deeply-lobed, with rounded tips, and turn dark-red to purple in the fall. Tolerates drought, rocky or compacted soil, loam, sand, gravelly soil, and podzolic soil (when starting this tree from an acorn, however, it's best to find non-compacted soil so that the root can find purchase as it sprouts from the acorn). Widely considered a keystone species, this tree supports a truly enormous variety of insects and wildlife, making it impossible to overstate its ecological value in the landscape. Blue Jays, squirrels and woodpeckers play a key role in distributing the acorns, helping this tree to spread, but these oaks also provide food for insect-eating birds by supporting a huge number of insect species. The acorns are sought out by turkeys, chipmunks, and many other types of wildlife. The acorns of this species die quickly when allowed to dry out, so the storage methods used by squirrels (burying directly in recently-disturbed, moist, cool soil about 2 inches deep, ideally with the acorn turned sideways) work well to help grow new plants-a particularly fascinating plant/animal relationship. White Oaks also have had a high degree of significance in human history; the common name Stave Oak refers to this species' wide use in barrel-making, the hard, high-quality wood is prized as lumber, and it has been used in a wide variety of ways by native peoples. Notably, although this species is quite slow-growing, it forms very deep roots early on in its development, so in order to grow a healthy, mature tree, the sapling must be planted in its permanent home while still quite young (less than 2 feet tall at absolute most). It's worth the wait and makes a wonderful legacy, but we advise against trying to get a head-start by planting a larger tree; with most oaks and this species in particular, it's by far better to start small.

50-100 foot tall
Plant Hardiness Zones: 3b-9b
Tree

Native Range: ME south to FL, west to TX and north to MN. Native to Canada in ON and QC.NS west through s. QC & ON to MN, south to LA, AL & n. GA

White Oak - < 6 inch tall in a quart pot $19.25

White Oak - 6-12 inch tall in a quart pot $19.75

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