Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

white oak

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Quercus alba

Family:

Fagaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

tree

Size:

to 100 ft tall by to 50 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

Fruit Color:

Phenology:

Deciduous. Blooms early spring (inconspicuous). Acorns ripen in fall. Life span 100+ years.

Noted For:

Hurricane Wind Resistance, Fall Color, Interesting Foliage, Interesting Bark

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Shade tree best suited to settings where its large size can be appreciated. Grown in open settings, it can have a wide spread. Grown in a forested setting it will have a narrower crown.

Considerations:

Annual acorn drop may require cleanup in areas close to residences.

Availability:

Quality Nurseries, Native Nurseries, Seed

Propagation:

Seed.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

Coming Soon!

Not wet but not extremely dry ---to--- Very long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray.

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Loam

Soil pH:

Slightly acidic

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B

Ecology

Wildlife:

Caterpillars, Mammals

Larval host for brown duskywing butterfly ( Erynnis horatius ), the gray hairstreak ( Strymon melinus ), and white-M hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album).

Squirrels, racoons, deer and many other animals eat the acorns. 

Native Habitats:

Dry mesic to mesic forests, second bottom, higher levees.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

Its peeling bark and rounded lobes set it apart from most other oaks.