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Botanical Name: Quercus alba
Common Name: White Oak
Origin: E. & C. North America
Location: KN
Notable Feature: One of the largest species of oak whose breadth may be even greater than its height. A handsome, native oak capable of living 300 years or more.
Habit: Deciduous, usually reaching upward to 50 to 80 feet tall and just as wide in the landscape, with the ability to grow over 100 feet in the wild. Trees growing in the open typically have a globe-shaped crown up to 100 feet or more wide.
Flower: Monoecious (separate male and female flowers occur on the same tree). In early spring male catkins between 1 and 2” long hang from the twigs. Female flowers emerge from the axils of new leaves and are relatively inconspicuous.
Fruit: Shiny, brown acorns, solitary or paired, and ¾ to 1” long are enclosed in bowl-like cups.
Foliage: Lobed leaves 5 to 9” long and 2 to 4” wide. The upper surface is green, shiny and hairless. The lower surface may have a whitish bloom. Fall color varies from brown to rich wines and maroons.
Interesting Fact: The strong durable wood has many uses. Among them, ship building and whiskey barrels. It was used to build the American Revolutionary War Navy.