Height: 50-80 feet; 30- to 40-foot spread
Light: full sun
Soil: Well-drained; adaptable
Foliage: Deciduous, two-toned green, reddish-brown fall
Growth rate: Slow; long lived
Fun fact: In 2004 the oak was officially declared the National Tree of the United States.
More information and native range here
Oak, White
Pollinator value: Medium (wind pollinated). White Oak is the most valuable of all the native trees for supporting insects. More than 500 species of moth and butterfly larvae grow and feed on the leaves of the White Oak.
These insects in turn feed songbirds and allow those birds to raise their young.
White Oak is a sight to behold in an open meadow with it's gloriously rounded canopy soaring sometimes 100 feet or more, twisted limbs and light, furrowed bark. Its trunk expands up to 4 feet in diameter, and its overall canopy spread 50 to sometimes 90 feet. Lower branches can be horizontal and hold the leaves until spring.
Oaks work well even in tight spaces, as long as the crown has room to spread. The roots of a Oak dig deep, anchoring the tree and filtering and holding stormwater runoff and sequestering carbon. And because they're so long lived (600 years!) they make great trees for marking family milestones.