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Compare sources for Quercus alba

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Field
Oak Compendium
Oaks of the World
The Sibley Guide to Trees
Common Names
Eastern White Oak
white oak, eastern white oak
Eastern White Oak, Stave Oak, Forkleaf Oak, Ridge White Oak
Geographic Range

Eastern North America; 0 to 1600 m; introduced in Europe en 1724;

Growth Habit

reaches 25 m high, but only 15 m in Europe; spreading crown; at high elevations forms a low bush;

Deciduous. Med to large tree, often 80’. Most widespread of the white oak group. Majestic in old age.

Leaves

8-20 cm long, 5-10 cm wide; elliptic, glabrous, with 3-9 pairs of untoothed lobes and more or less deep sinuses; base cuneate; dark green above, withish beneath; dark red midrib, 5-7 pairs of lateral veins; purple in autumn; petiole glabrous, yellow grey, sulcate on the lateral sides, reddish at fall, 1-2 cm long;

  • 6 1/2”
  • sharply tapered base
  • color generally more grayish bluish than other oaks, not glossy
  • moderate to deep rounded lobes
  • paler underleaf
  • mature leaves with short stalk
  • stiff do not droop or sway in breeze
Fruits (Acorns)

acorn 2-3 cm long, oblong, subsessile or short-stalked; enclosed for 1/4 of length in a shallow cup with warted, appressed and grey tomentose scales; cotyledons distinct; maturing in 1 year;

  • 3/4”
  • often short peduncle
  • shallow cup
  • germinate in Fall vs Res Oaks in Spring\
Flowers

male flowers yellow green;

Bark

Young/small trees:

  • pale ashy gray
  • in long strips that typically peel from one side

Mature trees:

  • long, peeling ridges or small blocks
Twigs

greenish to purple-gray
formation appears stiffer than in red oak group

Buds

small and blunt

Hardiness & Habitat

hardy; prefers acidic, well drained moist soils; long-lived, up to 200 years and more;

  • Widespread and common in rich, moist, or dry soils; often on ridges and slopes.
  • May be NA’s most abundant native tree.
  • Attractive and common in cultivation
  • Zones 3-9
Additional Information

Resources:
Quercus alba

– A. Camus : n° 278 ; – Sub-genus Quercus, Section Quercus, Series Albae; – Closely related to Q.bicolor and to Q.macrocarpa ;