Scientific Name
Quercus alba
The North American white oak is a popular and beloved tree, especially in the eastern U.S., where it is native. It is the official state tree of Connecticut, Illinois and Maryland. In Colorado, it is relatively uncommon because its sensitivity to alkaline soils, which makes planting it a bit of a gamble. Nevertheless, adventurous horticulturists have proven its worth in areas where soils are closer to a neutral pH. Some white oaks, given enough room to fully develop, have become outstanding shade trees. State champions in Denver and Boulder have grown trunks up to 50 inches in diameter and heights up to 80 feet. The wine-red fall color of white oak foliage is one of its most outstanding attributes in landscape plantings. However, the white oak's usefulness as an urban forest species is limited by its eventual massive size. This is one of the longest-lived native oaks with many verified survivors exceeding 400 years.
This tree has a more subtle importance in our forests because, like many oak species, it forms the basis for an enormous web of life. Wildlife depends on its acorns for food, and countless insects also utilize those acorns, as well as buds, leaves, flowers and shoots, for food. These insects, in turn serve as food for our avian friends, and an array of other insects.
It's also notable that this tree's acorns, along with those from several other related species of the "white oak group," can be used as human food. The taste may vary from species to species, but is generally bland or somewhat sweet. In contrast, the acorns of the "red oak group" are astringent because of their tannin content, which necessitates leaching before they can be eaten.
Another contrast between the white and the red oaks is that white acorns are primed to begin growing very soon after falling from the tree; if they fail to root quickly in the soil, they'll likely perish, whereas red oak acorns will not germinate until they spend a winter in dormancy.