Quercus alba
White oak · also Eastern white oak, Stave oak, Canada oak
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Quercus alba, commonly known as white oak, is a long-lived hardwood native to eastern and central North America. It can reach magnificent heights in forests and develops a broad, massive canopy in open spaces. Its wood is highly valued for commercial purposes, and its acorns provide food for wildlife.
Where it grows
Trees in each city's inventory, with the share of that city's named trees this species accounts for.
- 3,8130.55%—5.1 in
- 2,2700.31%—9.0 in
- 1,2860.65%8.0 yr24 in
- 7190.27%—11 in
- 6820.21%—7.9 in
- 5870.19%—3.0 in
- 5340.71%—6.7 in
- 3700.32%11 yr30 in
- 3140.09%4.0 yr2.0 in
- 2810.63%9.8 yr3.9 in
- 2690.60%—3.1 in
- 1550.19%—19 in
- 1530.10%4.6 yr2.0 in
- 1450.19%5.8 yr1.6 in
- 1380.29%—4.3 in
- 560.47%—24 in
- 520.01%3.0 yr2.4 in
- 170.00%—3.1 in
- 140.12%—5.9 in
- 80.00%—8.1 in
- 70.00%30 yr10 in
- 50.00%—3.1 in
- 50.03%—7.9 in
- 40.00%—13 in
- 40.00%—8.0 in
- 20.01%—15 in
- 10.00%—2.0 in
Traits
- Form
- Spreading
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Mature height
- 50–60 ft
- Canopy spread
- 60 ft
- Lifespan
- 450 years
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Water needs
- Moderate
- Wildlife value
- High
- Blooms
- Mar, Apr, May
Trunk diameters across every city: median 7.5 in, mean 14 in, 90th percentile 35 in. Measured at breast height, as published by each inventory.
Native range
Terrestrial ecoregions where this species is native. Trees in the dataset mostly stand well outside it.
Temperate Broadleaf & Mixed Forests
- East Central Texas forests
- Eastern Canadian Forest-Boreal transition
- Eastern Great Lakes lowland forests
- Mississippi lowland forests
Temperate Grasslands, Savannas & Shrublands
- Central US forest-grasslands transition
- Central Tallgrass prairie
Other Quercus in the catalogue
74 of the top 2,000 species are in this genus.
