Quercus alba
The American white oak needs no introduction, but we’ll give you one anyways. You can be just about anywhere in the Northeast, look around, and spot an impressive, towering oak tree, with distinctive large round-lobed leaves, and plumb acorns that turn a rich brown color as they ripen.
The oak tree is a wildlife superstar, providing a valuable food source for hundreds of birds, small mammals, and over 473 different species of butterflies and moths! Humans can use the acorns as a food source as well. Native People collected and used acorns as an important carbohydrate and protein source through the winter, and perfected ways of processing the seed. That being said, you are planting for the future as oaks generally start producing acorns when they are 25 years old.
This stately tree thrives in full sun and average to dry soil, is drought tolerant, and can handle moderate salt exposure, which makes it an excellent hardy tree for the landscape, providing shade while supporting nature.
Use: The most edible acorns for us humans. The acorn can be ground into meal and used as a flour and is rich in protein and fat. The tannins should be removed from the acorns first, read more about that here.
Plants can be purchased in-person or online (with in-person pick-up).
All online orders will be ready for pick-up 24-72 hours after purchase. You will receive an email to let you know when your order is ready. We kindly ask that you pick-up any orders within one week of purchase.
Quercus alba (White oak)
type: tree sun needs: full sun water needs: average or dry soil height: 50-80' plant spacing: 12' distance bloom time: May bloom color: green Edible parts: The most edible acorns for us humans. The acorn can be ground into meal and used as a flour and is rich in protein and fat. The tannins should be removed from the acorns first. Salt tolerant. Some salt exposure should not be fatal to the plant but some leaf burning may still occur.
Great fall leaf color Supports at-risk insects:
Host plant for:
Faded Gray Geometer (Stenoporpia polygrammaria)
Oak hairstreak