FNPS Plant Database

Quercus alba

white oak
  • 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

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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

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Vouchered In:

Distribution
Vouchered
Not vouchered
Selected
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Starting…
Map coded by Melissa Fernandez-de Cespedes (Paynes Prairie Chapter)

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.
FNPS Plant Print

Citations:

Burns, Russell M., and Barbara H. Honkala [Technical coordinators]. (1990). Silvics of North America: Volume 2. Hardwoods. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook 654. ( https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/1548 ). Accessed 2026.


Fox, Laurie, and Joel Koci. (2021). Trees and Shrubs that Tolerate Saline Conditions. ( https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/430/430-031/430-031.html ). Accessed 2026. Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.


Gilman, Edward F., Deborah Hilbert, Dennis G. Watson, Ryan Klein, Andrew Koeser, and Drew C. McLean. (2019). Quercus alba. (EH-699/ST541). ( https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ST541 ). Accessed 2026. Department of Environmental Horticulture, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville.


Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell. (1999). Native Florida Plants. Gulf Publishing Company. Houston, TX.


Huegel, Craig N. (2010). Native Plant Landscaping for Florida Wildlife. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Minno, Marc, and Maria Minno. (1999). Florida Butterfly Gardening: A Complete Guide to Attracting, Identifying, and Enjoying Butterflies. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Nelson, Gil. (2003). Florida's Best Landscape Plants: 200 Readily Available Species for Homeowners and Professionals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Ruter, John M., and Bodie V. Pennisi. (2017). Selecting Salt-Tolerant Native Trees for the Georgia Coast (Bulletin B-1477). ( https://fieldreport.caes.uga.edu/publications/B1477/selecting-salt-tolerant-native-trees-for-the-georgia-coast/ ). Accessed 2026. College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA.


University of Tennessee Extension Service. (2010). Desired pH Range and salt tolerance of common nursery plants. ( https://plantsciences.tennessee.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2021/10/Desired-pH-Range-List.pdf ). Accessed 2026. University of Tennessee Extension, Knoxville.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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