Distinguishing characters: The massive ramification of its branches is characteristic of this species and often an easy clue to its identification. The bark has a light gray color—lighter than that of the other oaks—and breaks into soft, loose flakes as in [Fig. 58]. The leaves are deeply lobed as in [Fig. 57]. The buds are small, round and congested at the end of the year’s growth. The acorns usually have no stalks and are set in shallow, rough cups. The kernels of the acorns are white and palatable.
Form and size: The white oak grows into a large tree with a wide-spreading, massive crown, dissolving into long, heavy, twisted branches. When grown in the open it possesses a short sturdy trunk; in the forest its trunk is tall and stout.
Range: Eastern North America.
Fig. 58.—Bark of White Oak. (Quercus alba.)
Soil and location: The white oak thrives in almost any well-drained, good, deep soil except in a very cold and wet soil. It requires plenty of light and attains great age.
Enemies: The tree is comparatively free from insects and disease except in districts where the Gipsy moth is common, in which case the leaves of the white oak are a favorite food of its caterpillars.
