White Oak

Basic Information
Tree ID: 
169
Family: 
Fagaceae (Beech Family)
Genus and species: 
Quercus alba
Description: 
Known colloquially as the only type of wood that could kill all vampires in The Vampire Diaries, the white oak is indeed as magical and powerful as it sounds! Not only does bark from the tree form stakes to kill vampires, but it is also used for barrels (called staves, so sometimes the tree is called a stave oak), Japanese martial arts (bokken = wooden swords), and even the US Constitution! White oaks are eudicots and quite old! Some can live past 450 years old. This is not without reason, as white oak trees are the most resistant to disease and insects, and the wood from these trees very rarely splinters when broken. Keep reading to learn more about this amazing tree!
Surveyors: 
Aanika Tiwary, Selihom Yosief
Location
Area: 
Prospect and Sachem
Collected Data
Date of tree entry: 
02/04/2025
Height: 
25.10 m
Diameter at breast height: 
2.27 m

Bark
The white oak’s bark is mostly an ashy grey color. However, our tree has hints of green towards the bottom due to growing moss (pictured). The bark is ridged, and these ridges appear to be broken horizontally, shown by horizontal ridges at times appearing in one continuous line.
Twigs & branches
The white oak has greyish branches, but some also have a bit of a reddish-brown hue, specifically around budding acorns. There is one very large branch with many branches offshooting from it pointing southwest, and there are 22 medium-large branches on the tree overall. The smallest branches point east towards the Peabody Museum, and the largest branches point south/southwest towards Commons.
Foilage
Leaves on the white oak have 7-10 lobes that are rounded. They can also be quite long, reaching up to 10 inches. At this point in the spring, though, which has been quite cold, the leaves are only budding. The longest bud right now is approximately 7.8 mm, and the smallest bud is approximately 3.4 mm. However, there are still some dried leaves hanging on the branches (very, very sparsely) that will eventually all blow away by the summer.
Reproductive Structures
The white oak reproduces using both male and female flowers, which grow on the same tree. The male flowers are long, yellowish-green catkins that hang down in the spring and produce pollen. These typically grow from the branches formed the previous year. The female flowers are much smaller and grow individually or in small groups where the leaves connect to the stem. Wind carries pollen from the male flowers to the female flowers, allowing for pollination to occur. Once pollinated, the female flowers begin developing into acorns, which are the fruit of the oak tree. In white oaks, the acorns mature within a single growing season, usually about four to five months, and fall to the ground in autumn.
Fruit
The white oak, like most hardwood trees, uses seed and vegetative regeneration, such as root and stump sprouting, to reproduce. The white oak primarily produces acorns to propagate its seeds. White oaks usually begin producing acorns at around 20 years of age. The best acorn production occurs when the mature trees are greater than 20 inches in diameter and are growing in full sunlight. Good acorn crops generally occur every 3 to 5 years, not every year. Additionally, white oaks sprout vigorously following disturbance or damage to the tree.
Seasons
  • Winter
  • Spring
Research
Natural range of distribution: 
Habitat: 
The white oak is native to eastern and central North America and grows in a variety of forested areas. It does especially well in places that have all four seasons, get a good amount of rain each year, and have plenty of sunlight. White oaks prefer soil that isn’t too wet or too dry. They grow best in areas with deep, rich soil, but they can also grow in sandier or heavier clay soils. White oaks can be found across much of the eastern United States, from southern Canada down to Texas and west to Minnesota, where they play an important role in the health and balance of the forest ecosystem.
Origin, history, and uses: 

White oak wood is the most sought-after species used to make barrels for the wine and spirits industries. White oak is also commonly used for lumber, cabinets, furniture and pallets. The leaves, young shoots, and acorns of the white oak are often eaten by deer, rabbits, birds and other wildlife. Oaks support more than 500 butterfly and moth larva which in turn support migrating and breeding bird populations and bats. The white oak (Quercus alba) is native to eastern and central North America and has a history dating back millions of years. It has been a vital species in North American forests, valued not only for its durable wood but also for its ecological role. Indigenous peoples used various parts of the white oak for medicinal purposes and food, particularly the acorns, which were leached to remove tannins and ground into meal.

 
Phenology: 
Leaves from the fall become dry and crisp and turn a reddish-brown color, and eventually fall off the tree throughout the winter, but some stay on. In the spring, budding flowers begin to grow, but this has taken a long time this spring (2025). Eventually, by the summer, the leaves grow larger with 7-10 rounded lobes each, and the tree looks as full as it will look the whole year.
References: 

https://www.savatree.com/resource-center/tree-varieties/white-oak/#:~:text=The%20wood%20of%20the%20white,is%20made%20from%20white%20oak

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://forestry.ca.uky.edu/sites/forestry.ca.uky.edu/files/white_oak_factsheet.pdf

https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/quercus/alba.htm

USDA Forest Service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/quealb/all.html 

National Wildlife Federation: https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Plants-and-Fungi/Oak-Tree 

Illinois Wildflowers Info: https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/trees/plants/white_oak.html 

 
More
Other information of interest: 

Fun facts!

  • White oaks can live for centuries, with some trees reaching ages of over 500 years.

  • The species name alba comes from Latin, meaning “white,” a reference to the tree’s light gray to nearly white bark.

  • White oak acorns are considered the tastiest among all oak species because they contain less tannic acid, which gives other acorns a bitter taste. This made them an important food source for many Native American communities.

  • As of 2020, the largest known white oak, recognized as the National Champion, stood 90 feet tall and had a circumference of 331 inches. It is located in Brunswick County, Virginia.

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Comments

Selihom Yosief on April 21, 2025: