Is White Oak deer resistant?
Quercus alba
Occasionally damaged
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
Plant typeTreeHardinessZones 3–9LightFull sun
Mature height600–1620 in
BloomSpringMaintenanceLow, mostly leave it alone
About White Oak
Lives for centuries and develops a magnificent broad crown, but it is very slow and resents root disturbance so badly that large transplants often fail. Plant it small. The acorns are sweeter than red oak and correspondingly more attractive to deer and wildlife.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5 to 6.5
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 354 to 591 in apart
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Maintenance
- Low
Similar to White Oak
Other trees with the same deer rating.
- Alternate-Leaved DogwoodCornus alternifoliaZones 3–7Occasionally damaged
- American PersimmonDiospyros virginianaZones 4–9Occasionally damaged
- AppleMalus sp.Zones 4–9, genus rangeOccasionally damaged
- Atlantic White CedarChamaecyparis thyoidesZones 3–9Occasionally damaged
- Atlas CedarCedrus atlanticaZones 6–9Occasionally damaged
- Bald CypressTaxodium distichumZones 4–9Occasionally damaged
Protecting White Oak
Whether this survives comes down to local pressure, so it is worth knowing the options before it gets browsed rather than after.
- Protecting a young treeBrowsing costs a season. A buck rubbing a two-inch stem in October girdles it and kills it outright.
- How tall a deer fence needs to beEight feet, and six is the most common expensive mistake in deer fencing.
- Repellent that actually worksThe egg-based recipe that reproduces the active ingredient in the commercial sprays that win university trials.
- Check it is actually deerDeer tear and leave a ragged stub. A clean 45-degree cut is rabbits, and slug holes get blamed on deer constantly.
Where White Oak grows
Hardy across most of these 51 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- New York
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
Browse from here
Every list White Oak belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about White Oak
- Is White Oak deer resistant?
- White Oak (Quercus alba) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does White Oak grow in?
- White Oak is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does White Oak grow in shade?
- No. White Oak wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- How big does White Oak get?
- Mature height is roughly 600–1620 in. Growth rate is slow.
- Is White Oak toxic to dogs or cats?
- Not to dogs or cats — the ASPCA lists White Oak as toxic to horses only. Worth knowing if you keep any; the ASPCA does not list it as a risk to dogs or cats.