White Oak
Quercus alba · Fagaceae (Beech and Oak family)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Leaf Morphology
Leaf Type
Simple, deciduous
Shape
Obovate to oblong-ovate with 7 to 9 deeply rounded lobes
Margin
Entire with deeply rounded lobes lacking bristle tips
Arrangement
Alternate
Venation
Pinnate with prominent midrib and primary veins
Key Features
Rounded leaf lobes without bristle tips, light gray scaly bark, and acorns with warty, bumpy caps enclosing about a quarter to a third of the nut
Description
The White Oak is a magnificent, long-lived canopy tree known for its broad, rounded crown and durable wood. While the image shows its distinctive, stout acorn with a warty cap, the tree produces deeply lobed leaves with rounded tips that lack bristles. Bark is light gray and scaly, peeling in small strips on older trunks.
Habitat
Well-drained upland forests, ridges, and slopes, preferring acidic, moist, loamy soils but adaptable to various soil types
Native Range
Native to eastern and central North America, from southern Quebec and Maine south to northern Florida and eastern Texas