Quercus alba
White Oak
Family Fagaceae
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Use
Raw, Cooked, Flour. The acorns of White Oaks are sweet enough to be eaten raw. They can also be boiled, roasted, or dried and ground into a meal used for baking.
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Description
Growth Form: Tree growing up to 23 meters tall and 0.3-0.9 meters in diameter.
Leaves: 5.1 - 22.8 centimeters. Long, evenly lobed. No bristle tips at end of lobes.
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Leaves
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Nuts
Photo by Dan L. Perlman (www.ecolibrary.org)
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Fruits: Medium sized Acorn. Cap is bowl-shaped and covers less than 1/3 of the acorn. Caps have prominent bumps.
Buds: Hairy and without scales.
Bark: Light-colored. Slightly furrowed and sometimes scaled.
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Habitat and Range
Dry or moist soil. Minnesota to Maine. As far south as Texas and Florida.
Season
Early Fall.
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Bark
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Fun Facts
Over 180 wildlife species have been reported to use white oak acorns for food.
White oak can live for 3-5 centuries.
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