Plant Description
The White Oak (Quercus alba), native to New Jersey and much of eastern North America, is a long-lived deciduous tree often reaching heights of 50 to 80 feet. It features a broad, rounded crown with light gray bark that forms shallow furrows and scaly ridges. The leaves, 4 to 8 inches long, are obovate with 5 to 9 lobes, and their gray-green surface turns a vibrant orange or red in fall. The tree’s acorns serve as an essential food source for birds, squirrels, and deer (Missouri Botanical Garden).
White Oak wood is prized for its strength and durability, historically used for shipbuilding and now for furniture, flooring, and whiskey barrels. Native Americans also utilized its bark for medicinal purposes. A notable example of this species, the Wye Oak in Maryland, stood for over 460 years and was the largest known White Oak in the U.S. until its destruction in 2002 (Wikipedia).
