How to Grow White Oak Trees (Quercus alba)

The white oak tree (Quercus alba) is one of the continent’s predominant native hardwood tree species appearing throughout Eastern North America’s forests.

While it will not disappoint as a design feature, oaks are among the most valuable native trees we can plant. The white oak provides a habitat and food for countless species of wildlife. The white oak is the best tree to plant to attract butterflies and it supports hundreds of species of caterpillars. If you want to support pollinators and attract birds, planting white oaks will ensure that will happen. Besides being important for the environment, the tree makes barrels and ages various spirits such as bourbon, whiskey, and wines.

If you have the room and the time to commit—it can live 500 years—the white oak tree is a beautiful and invaluable addition to a landscape for its aesthetic value and role in the local ecosystem.

How to Identify White Oak Trees

White oaks are easy year round by their height, rounded canopy, and big trunk. They are large trees that grow to 50 to 75 feet tall with rounded canopies. It has a large trunk, often 3 to 5 feet around. The tree's bark is a light, scaley gray that flakes off in small pieces if picked.

The foliage of the white oak is very recognizable; it has simple, alternating, lobed leaves that are 5 to 9 inches long with rounded tips. In spring and summer, the leaves are dark green on the top with a white or pale green underside. In the fall, the leaves turn reddish brown and linger on the branches late into winter.

White Oak Tree Care

White oaks grow slowly while often living for centuries if planted in conditions that allow them to remain healthy. If you follow these few steps, you should have no issues starting your white oak's long life in the right direction:

• Plant your white oak tree in a location where it will receive full sun.
• Provide your tree with soil that is acidic to neutral and well-draining.
• Do not over-fertilize your white oak.
• Water your newly planted oak often to establish a strong root system.

Light

The white oak is a tree that thrives in full sun. Younger trees will tolerate some partial shade, but as the trees age, their ability to tolerate shade will become an issue. A noticeable difference will occur in trees planted in full sun. Besides tree health in full sun, you will want to ensure full sun to get the absolute best fall colors.

Soil

White oak prefers acidic to neutral soil that is deep, moist, and well-draining.  It does not tolerate
alkaline or shallow soils.

Water

Freshly planted white oaks should be watered regularly for the first season until established. Infrequent deep soaking is the goal rather than quick daily watering. (Imagine a rainy day compared to a passing storm.) When planting the tree, mulching beneath the canopy will help it establish itself and prosper in its new location by keeping the area moist and reducing competition with grass and other plants.

Temperature and Humidity

The white oak can exist in various temperatures, from a very frigid winter in Minnesota to a relatively mild Florida winter. The white oak's optimum range has an average temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit. The tree thrives in USDA Zones 3-9. The white oak is more tolerant of higher temperatures than other Northern species. While other natives will likely be adversely affected by warming regional climates, the white oak will persist.

Fertilizer

White oaks do not need supplemental fertilization, but testing the soil and amending the soil can rule out soil deficiencies if the tree is not thriving. Waiting on the test results is important, but generally, using a fertilizer with a low nitrogen content is best for oaks to avoid creating weak
branch growth.

Pros and Cons of White Oak Trees

White oaks are amazing trees, but along with their positive characteristics they also have drawbacks. They are not for every landscape, but in the right location can be perfect.

On the positive side, white oaks are invaluable for the environment as a shelter for countless pollinators and species of wildlife while at the same time providing food for other species. Aesthetically, they make beautiful shade trees and provide an excellent focus point in a large landscape to draw the eye. They are relatively easy to care for when young and provide beautiful fall colors.

On the negative side, when the tree drops its acorns it can become messy, especially during masting years. These are years with especially high acorn yields. The tree size is not for everyone, and maintenance can get costly as you eventually need to bring in tree services for pruning. Diseases that affect oaks are on the rise in areas where the white oak is native, making the tree more susceptible to issues.

Pruning

White oaks make terrific street trees and are famous for their use in allée (an alley in a formal garden or park). When forming an oak allée or planting on the street, training and structural pruning will be needed on the tree’s allée side to create a thoroughfare. If your tree is going to create some shade, you want to do some structural pruning, or there may be times when you need to trim the deadwood off the tree.

Some easy structural pruning during the oak’s initial years (but not in its first) will help establish a straight tree with a single trunk and branches that are not prone to breaking. Doing your pruning in the late winter when the tree is dormant is when you want to do this work. To tackle this project, use pruning shears if the branch is under a 1/2 inch thick, loppers for anything above 1/2 to 2 inches thick, and a pruning saw for anything 2 to 5 inches thick. Cut branches that make a deep “V” shape or extend inward with the right tool. You aim to create an upright tree with a tall, raised canopy.

As the tree matures and requires ladders and chain saws to make thicker cuts, it is safer to call a certified arborist or licensed tree service to prune the tree.