White Oak (Quercus alba)
White Oaks are very common and can grow to upwards of 100 feet tall. White Oaks have very easily identified leaves, being green on top and having a white underside. The leaves can be anywhere from four to nine inches long, with up to five to nine lobes that look like fingers coming off of the main steam of the leaf. These leafs will turn colors during the fall, to red, yellow, orange, or brown, until they fall off. Occasionally leafs can stay on all winter until the spring leafs begin to grow. The bark of a White Oak is very scaly, with a light gray tint to it, sometimes the bark will flake off if you rub it.
Most oaks are know for the acorns they produce. This is a means of transportation of the reproduction seeds, from one location to another. Deer, rabbits, crows, squirrels, turkey, and many species of birds eat the seeds and then spread them throughout the forest. These animals eat the acorns then drop the seeds somewhere else when they defecate.
Whit Oaks are used for shade trees in the landscaping business, but they have been used for making barrels, furniture, flooring, and beams. The wood has also become known as Stave (stave is a stripe of wood that makes the barrel oak since this wood is so highly cherished in the barrel making industry.
References
- Lindell, J. (2010, May 16). Facts About White Oak Trees. Retrieved October 22, 2014, from http://www.ehow.com/about_6521703_white-oak-trees.html
- White Oak. (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2014.
Report By: Nathan Hodnichak