Get to Know Our Natives by Nature
White oak tree. Source
This month, we Get to Know our native White Oak.
Scientific name: Quercus alba
An adaptable tree that will grow almost anywhere. White oak can live for hundreds of years. White Oak can be distinguished from the common Red Oak, by the leaves deep, rounded lobes compared to sharply toothed lobes.
White oak leaf. Source
Where it Grows: White oak is found in southern Ontario. White oak is native to the mixed- and deciduous forests of eastern North America.
Mature size and shape: White oak are large trees, usually 20 to 30 metres tall. Can grow to be more than 35 metres tall. Trunk reaches 50 to 120 centimetres in diameter.
What you need to know to grow white oak: Trees can tolerate a variety of moisture levels and a variety of soils. White oak prefers full sun.
Note: White oaks have deep roots. They should not be planted close to septic systems or drainage tiles.
Oak wilt: A disease caused by an invasive fungus that has been found in Southern Ontario. To minimize the risk of oak wilt, save pruning for before April and after July, when beetles thought to transport the fungus are less active.
Benefits: Birds, bears, rodents, squirrels and other animals eat the acorns. Trees provide perching and nesting sites for songbirds. Many birds and mammals use the twigs and leaves for nesting material. Large oaks provide denning sites for mammals such as raccoons and squirrels.
White oak acorn. Source