White Oak — Quercus alba

Quercus is Latin meaning fine tree; alba means white. The immortalfrigate, the Constitution (known today as Old Ironsides) had its gundeck and keel made of solid white oak from Massachusetts and New Jersey. This tree was valuable in the past for barrel staves.

Exactly how this tree got its name is uncertain. In the lumber trade, the name “white oak” refers to any oak with light-colored wood and coming from species belonging to the white oak group. This normally included bur oak and swamp white oak. For purposes of identification, one could associate the name with the off- white to light-gray bark similar in appearance to silver maple.

In its native habitat, White oak has been known to live as long as 600 years. An old specimen White oak tree, once thriving near Rutgers University campus in New Brunswick, New Jersey, was said to have inspired the famous poem “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. This tree later died, a consequence of man’s encroachment and “progress”. Gavels lathed from the dead tree became collectors’ items for eastern dignitaries.

White oak is native of the higher, well-drained soils along rivers of the midwest and eastern states. A few have been found in eastern Colorado, thus it can be considered a “borderline native.” The foliage is distinct in that the lobing is rounded at the tips (unlike red and scarlet oaks that have bristle tips) and some of the lobes have short, secondary notches. In fall, it will usually develop a unique bronze to maroon color.

Acorns, only rarely present in this specimen, are borne on long stalks. The cup is covered with wart-like scales referred to as tubercules. While growth habit seems to vary somewhat, it is usually wide-spreading and open- branched when grown without crowding. In well-drained soils it will develop a deep taproot and thus has considerable drought resistance.

Other Denver locations

Everywhere.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_oak