White Oak (Quercus alba)

3 Gallon, 18" tall, no branching Exposure: Part sun-sunSoil: Medium-dryMature Height: 50-80 feetMature Width: 50-80 feet Description: White Oak is the state tree of Illinois. It is the only oak of the white oak group that has russet red fall color. In youth, the leaves tend to persist over the winter. As the tree ages, the leaves fall off in autumn. Grows in sand and clay but never in very wet sites. Most of our oaks are intolerant of shade, but White Oak is mildly shade-tolerant, needing only 3-4 hours of sun daily. Somewhat slower growing than others in the White Oak family. High ecological value! Attracts: Caterpillars of the butterflies Calycopis cecrops (Red-Banded Hairstreak), Fixsenia favonius ontario (Northern Hairstreak), Parrhasius m-album (White-M Hairstreak), Satyrium calanus falacer (Banded Hairstreak), and Satyrium liparops strigosum (Striped Hairstreak) feed on the foliage, as do caterpillars of the skippers Erynnis brizo(Sleepy Duskywing) and Erynnis juvenalis (Juvenal'