White Oak
Quercus alba
A large deciduous tree featuring distinctive leaves with rounded lobes, smooth sinuses, and a gray-whitish bark.
- Light
- Full sun, requiring 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day.
- Water
- Moderate water needs once established, highly drought-tolerant. Water deeply every 7 to 10 days during the first growing season.
- Growth
- Large perennial tree growing at a slow to medium rate, reaching mature heights of 50 to 80 feet with a broad, spreading crown.
Care instructions
Provide full sun and well-draining soil. Water deeply during establishment and during prolonged dry spells. Fertilize sparingly if needed in early spring.
Growing details
Sunlight
Full sun, requiring 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day.
Watering
Moderate water needs once established, highly drought-tolerant. Water deeply every 7 to 10 days during the first growing season.
Soil
Prefers deep, moist, well-draining loamy, sandy, or clay soils with an acidic to neutral pH range of 4.5 to 6.5.
Hardiness zone
USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 9.
Growth habit
Large perennial tree growing at a slow to medium rate, reaching mature heights of 50 to 80 feet with a broad, spreading crown.
Bloom season
Spring; produces inconspicuous greenish-yellow catkins.
Propagation
Propagated primarily from seeds sown in autumn, or through grafting for specific cultivars.
Common pests & issues
Susceptible to oak wilt, anthracnose, leaf miners, and scale insects. Ensure good air circulation and avoid over-watering to prevent fungal issues.
Similar species
Post Oak (Quercus stellata), which has leaves shaped like a cross, and Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa), which features larger leaves with a deeply lobed terminal segment.