20 Interesting Facts about The White Oak Tree
“If the oak tree is the king, as legend says, then the white oak is the king of kings throughout its range.” David Peattie. The white oak is among the most distinctive oaks in the eastern United States. It’s also large and impressive, making it a popular tree choice. Unlike its cousin, the red oak, the white oak tree is often seen as robust and sturdy, but this article will show that there is more to the white oak than meets the eye.
These beautiful trees stand out in any landscape with their smooth trunks covered in shredding bark, creating almost ghostly appearances. This article will provide intriguing knowledge about the white oak tree that you may not know.
1. It’s a Witchcraft Tree in The Vampire Diaries
Have you watched the Vampire Diaries? In the movie, Esther calls upon the white oak tree to make her family immortal by killing the originals. However, the originals burn down the tree, but Mikael manages to carve a stake from the trunk.
In the fifteenth episode of Season Three, Bonnie and Abbie have a role to play in a ritual involving the original power struggle. The oak is involved in completing the practice. The white oak is in a natural location that dates back 300 years before the originals left their old home.
“An original vampire would be slain by the wood of a single tree, an ancient white oak. When the tree burned down, all hope was supposed to be lost. However, they saved the tree ash, and the witches created a knife to which the ash might be affixed. This alchemical link provides the poison. Humans can only wield it because it will kill all demons who use it. So the original is effectively dead as long as the dagger remains.” Gilberts’ Journal Entry
2. Three States Have Designated the White Oak as Their State Tree
In 1908, Senator Andrew Jackson introduced a bill to make the white oak the official tree of Illinois. In 1973, a clash occurred between the red and white oak. The votes, which around 90,000 schoolchildren cast, ensured the white oak’s win.
The White Oak got 333,964 votes, while the Northern Red Oak got 142,247 votes. Therefore, the white oak became the official state tree of Illinois. Additionally, Illinois has two state white oaks, one on the grounds of the governor’s mansion and the other in a schoolyard in Rochelle. In addition, the white oak is the state tree of Maryland and Connecticut.
3. The Oak’s Name Came From its White Leaves
The white oak tree has 5inches long and 3-inches broad two-toned leaves. Also, the tree has approximately nine round-ended lobes on each leaf. The upper half of the leaf is glossy, medium green to dark green, and the underneath is tomentose with a silvery white appearance. The white oaks get their name from this underside color, delineating them from other oak species.
4. The Old Linden Oak Was Once The Tallest White Oak
The linden white oak tree was first seeded in 1718, meaning that, as of 2020, it was 303 years old. Venus, the goddess of love and loyalty, was honored with the tree planting. The tree representing maternal love is feminine, a goddess tree.
The tree stood 30 meters tall, with 40 meters spread in 2008. It was designated one of the world’s most towering white oaks after the Indiana white oak tree, 34 meters tall and 40 meters wide.
The tree has survived three plaques to earn its nobility and respect among Americans, which are:
- In 1973, Idamae Garrett pushed the Grovesnor metro station westward to save the linden tree, thus becoming a heroic activist.
- A plaque placed by the Montgomery County Department of Parks celebrated the tree as the fourth largest of its species in Maryland.
- In 1976, a plaque by the Maryland bicentennial commission and the Maryland Forest Service celebrated the tree’s age.
However, in the spring of 2022, the tree died at 303 years old, resulting from a steep decline in 2021.
5. It is a Historic Landmark Representing the Birth of Tulsa
The Creek Council White Oak is a historical landmark for the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1836, the U.S. government gave the Creeks land in the Indian territory across the Mississippi.
After arriving, the Lochapokas chose an oak tree that overlooked the Arkansas River as their council ground site. Next, they lit a ceremonial fire to establish a site for all council business and gathering places for feast games and tribal ceremonies, making it a historical setting. To date, the Creeks have their annual celebration on the site.
6. The Shawshank Redemption Tree is a White Oak Tree
The white oak tree was near the entrance to Malabars Farm State Park. The tree played an exemplary role in the Shawshank Redemption, a movie with Morgan Freeman as Red and Tim Robbins as Andy. In the movie, Morgan Freeman searches for clues to lead him to his friend after escaping prison.
The Shawshank was 30 meters tall and roughly 200 years old. On July 29, 2011, half of the tree fell due to being hit by lightning and subsequent trunk rot caused by ants. Strong winds destroyed the tree in 2016. The remains became Shawshank redemption merchandise.
7. White Oak Wood is The Wood Behind the “Old Ironside” Walls
Did you know that the first battleships’ walls were pure white oak? When the U.S.S Constitution went to war with the British warship, the Guerrier cannon balls thrown at the U.S.S bounced off the sides, winning the war. “Huzzah, her sides are built of iron!” shouted one American sailor. The ship was renamed the Old Ironsides after that.
To this day, engineers use white oak tree timber to repair the Old Ironside. The white oak tree is a wood widely used because of its characteristics:
- It is hard and has low stiffness.
- Making heavy lumber
- Outstanding strength
- Good steam bending properties.
- It’s easy to machine glue, and the screw accepts stains and polishes to a good finish.
8. White Oak is Among the Best Woods for Making Wine and Whiskey Barrels
The white oak tree‘s wood was used in colonial times to make barrels that stored wines and whiskeys. As a result, the wood contains chemical attributes such as lactose and tannins, which affect the drinks’ mouthfeel, color, and flavor. However, producers have to check the origin of the wood due to differences in tone and tannin concentration. Nevertheless, the tree is still considered the most beautiful tree for the barrel.
9. They Can Live For Centuries
The white oak tree lives for hundreds of years; the average tree lives for 200-300 years. However, exceptions exist, such as the Mingo white oak tree, 582 years old, which fell on September 23, 1938. “I’d like to hike far into the flinty hills in search of a keepsake, and an old double-bitted ax lodged deep in the side of a white tree. I’m aware that the handle has long since rotted away over time.
Perhaps the rusted frame of a coal-oil light is still hanging from the blade.” Wilson Rawls
10. Produces Acorns After 20 Years
Acorns are typically produced by the tree every 50-100 years. On the other hand, open-grown trees may produce acorns after 20 years of existence. Furthermore, the tree can have up to 100,000 acorns in a single mast year.
However, the white acorns may not last long because deer eat them as soon as they fall, and any oak not eaten can rot for lack of tannin. The white oak produces acorns yearly, attracting deer that feed on the fallen acorns.
11. The Tree is Considered Sacred
Many aboriginal Americans considered the oak tree sacrosanct and used it for meetings and ceremonies. For example, the Lochapokas used the creek council oak tree for ceremonial purposes.
The white oak tree was considered a storehouse tree by the Celtics. Reasonably, the white oak expands widely, with massive spread and growth. In addition, the Celtics considered the tree noble and respected it for its nobility and endurance over the years.
12. The White Oak Is a Source of Medicine
The tree is a source of medicine through its chemical content. For example, tannin provides healing properties and reduces skin inflammation while strengthening body tissues and blood vessels. Also,
- The Cherokee Ojibwa and Meskwaki people used the tree’s bark for antidiarrhea medicine.
- The Delaware, Oklahoma, and Mohegans used tree bark to treat respiratory and throat disorders.
- The Housa community crushed the white oak trees and mixed them with whisky to cure rheumatic fevers.
- The Mohegans used the bark as a balm for sore muscles and an infusion for muscle pains.
Modern research shows that white oak possesses healing properties for fevers, reducing tonic, antiseptic, antitumor, and anti-inflammatory actions.
13. White Oaks are Monoecious
The white oak tree has both female and male flowers on the same tree. The male flower is known as the catkin. The catkin is 3 inches long, and the female flower is green and scarlet, growing at the tips of fresh branches.
The white oak tree is wind pollinated. However, this does not stop birds from aiding in pollination. Interestingly, the male and female flowers bloom in different seasons. The male flower forms in summer and produces pollen in spring, while the female flower blooms in spring.
14. The Mingo Oak is The Tallest White Oak
In 1931, John Keadle and Leonard Bradhsnk took measurements of the white oak tree and were amazed to find that the white oak was the tallest living tree at the time. Research approximates the tree started growing around 1354 and 1364 AD.
The West Virginia Game Forestry Commission rented the land to manage the tree area and created a state park by adding trees and seats. However, in 1938, the tree started to dissipate and failed to produce leaves, and in May of that year, the tree was sadly announced dead.
The white oak was 200 feet tall, with a trunk diameter of 145 and a spread of 130 feet when it fell. The engineers estimated the tree would produce 150,000 board feet of lumber.
15. Newton Used Gall Ink to Write His Theories
The oak gall wasp is a type of insect similar to flying ants. This insect loves the oak and lays eggs on the plant’s leaves, resulting in abnormal growth called galls. Squeezing gall shells produces gall ink. In the early days, native Americans used ink to write scripts and manuscripts. Additionally, in penning his work, Sir Isaac Newton used gall ink.
16. The White Oak Tree Has a Prolonged Growth Rate
The white oak tree grows at an approximate rate of about 12 to 24 inches per year. Therefore, finding the tree in nurseries is exceptionally tedious because many people defer its slow growth rate. However, the tree’s longevity can be a good investment. At the age of 10 years, the tree might only be 10 feet tall, making it a good and noble tree.
17. White Oak Manufactures Drumsticks
The white oak tree‘s wood is hardier than the red oak’s. Therefore, the tree can withstand wear and tear and endless punishment. The wood resists chipping and wearing. Additionally, they last longer and help with sound compared to other types of wood, such as maple or red oak.
18. The White Oaks are Native to The Appalachian Mountains
White oak trees grow mainly in the eastern United States. Generally, the tree can be found from central Michigan to southeastern Minnesota, south to western Iowa, southern Maine, and southern Quebec to the west, to southern Ontario, eastern Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, and in northern Florida and Georgia from the east.
The trees also grow in the western Appalachian mountain slopes and the Ohio and central Mississippi river valleys. Giant white oak trees, on the other hand, have been discovered in Maryland and Delaware. The tree grows mainly in the lowlands at an approximate altitude of 1600 meters above sea level.
19. The White Oak Tree Requires 4 Hours of Sunlight
The white oak prefers the sun for efficient growth. The white oak tree requires full sun(6 hours of sun daily) for development. However, they can grow in conditions of about 4-hours of sunlight.
20. White Oak Produces Hard, Deciduous Wood
White oak is a deciduous, hard, heavy wood with a medium-bending strength and good steam-bending properties. It also has good wear resistance.
It machines effectively and nails and screws nicely, but specialists recommend pre-boring. It is best to use galvanized nails because of their reactivity with iron. Its sticky properties vary, and the wood dries slowly but stains well.
Are the White Acorns Edible?
The white oak fruits are edible and provide food for deer, raccoons, mallards, chipmunks, blue jays, and woodpeckers, which feed on the sweet acorns of the tree. For humans, you should first remove the tannin in the acorns. Then, you can boil them or grind them into acorn flour.
Which is the Oldest Oak Tree?
The Doby’s seven sisters’ tree is the oldest living oak tree. The tree is approximately 1200 years old, with a height of 57 feet and a circumference of 39.6 feet. One of the seven sisters, Carol Hendry, named the tree in Mandeville, Louisiana. The oak is the current president of the Live Oak Society. A living oak must have a trunk circumference of at least 8 feet in order to join the oak society. Centenarians are those oaks that are above 16 feet in circumference.
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