Latin name: Quercus spp, Quercus alba, Quercus prinus, Quercus montana, Quercus lyrata, Quercus michauxii

Also known as: American white oak (Q. alba), chestnut oak (Q. prinus, Q. montana), overcup oak (Q. lyrata), swamp chestnut oak (Q. michauxii)

Distribution - From southern Quebec and Ontario to eastern Minnesota and Iowa, extending eastward to the Atlantic and southward through the lower western slopes of the Allegheny and Appalachian Mountains.

Wood type - Hardwood

The Timber - Although generally resembling European oak, American white oak is more variable in colour, ranging from pale yellow-brown to pale reddish-brown, often with a pinkish tint.. The grain is generally straight, and the texture varies from coarse to medium coarse. As with the red oaks, the quality depends greatly on the conditions of growth; slowly-grown northern white oak usually being lighter in weight and milder, than that from the southern states. The Appalachian Mountains used to provide beautiful mild white oak greatly esteemed for furniture and cabinet-making, but much of this forest area has been destroyed in recent years due to open-cast coal mining activities.

The Tree - The white oaks vary in size and form according to species and soil conditions, some are unsuitable for timber production. But others vary in height from 15m to 30m, well-grown specimens having a clear cylindrical bole of up to 15m with a diameter of about 1.0m.