Types of Oak Trees: White vs Red Oaks, a TN Nursery Guide

The types of oak trees you can plant fall into two groups. White oaks, such as white oak and bur oak, have rounded leaf lobes and acorns that ripen in one year. Red oaks, such as red, pin, willow and water oak, have bristle-tipped leaves and acorns that take two years. TN Nursery's picks and bare-root planting tips follow.

TN Nursery is a third-generation family nursery in Altamont, Tennessee, growing native trees and plants since 1959, and this is our customer education site. Oaks are some of the longest-term trees you can plant, so it pays to choose the right one before the box arrives. This guide is built for planting, not just naming. Each oak below gets a short profile: which group it belongs to, how to recognize its leaves, and what kind of spot it suits. Then you'll see how to tell white oaks from red oaks by leaf and acorn, and what to do with a bare-root, dormant oak the day it arrives. Most of these oaks are among our native trees and ship bare-root while dormant, so they reach you looking like bare sticks with roots. That is normal, and it is the best way to start a tree that may outlive the person who plants it.

Types of oak trees to plant

1. White oak, the classic white group shade tree

The White Oak Tree is the namesake of the white group. Its leaves have rounded lobes with no bristle tips, and its acorns ripen in a single season. We list it for full sun and as drought tolerant, deer resistant and good for birds and food plots. Choose it when you want one long-lived shade tree that also feeds wildlife.

Tip: Plant it where its crown has open room to spread for decades.

2. Bur oak, big acorns in a fringed cap

The Bur Oak Tree is also in the white group, so look for rounded leaf lobes without bristles. Its acorn sits in a spiky, fringed cap that is easy to spot on the ground. We list it as drought tolerant and growing over 20 feet. Give it an open spot where it has room to spread for decades.

3. Red oak, the standard of the red group

The Red Oak Tree gives the red group its name. Its leaves have pointed lobes that end in tiny bristles, and its acorns take two seasons to ripen, so you may see two sizes on one branch. We list it for full sun and as drought tolerant. In our photos it turns orange and gold in fall, a strong pick for color.

4. Pin oak, a deer-resistant red oak

Pin Oak Trees belong to the red group, with bristle-tipped, pointed lobes and acorns that take two years. We list pin oak for full sun and as deer resistant, drought tolerant and good for birds and food plots. That mix makes it a practical choice for rural land where deer browse young trees. Our photos show it turning orange in fall.

5. Willow, water and black oak, more red oaks

Not every red oak has lobes. The Willow Oak Tree has narrow, unlobed leaves, and Water Oak Seedlings are another unlobed red oak, yet each leaf still ends in a small bristle. Black Oak Seedlings round out the red group. Both seedlings come in bundles, which suits habitat and reforestation plantings. We list willow oak as deer resistant and good for birds.

How to identify oak trees by leaves

Start with the leaf tips. On a white oak, the lobes are rounded and smooth. On a red oak, the main veins run out past the leaf edge as small bristles, even on unlobed leaves like willow and water oak. Mississippi State University Extension sums it up the same way and adds a second clue: white oak acorns mature in one year, red oak acorns in two. That gives you a check on a red oak in summer, when small first-year acorns can hang near larger ripe ones. The acorns behave differently too. White oak acorns ripen earlier, drop ready to sprout and are less bitter. Red oak acorns are higher in tannin and need a winter of moist cold before they grow. If you want one oak from each group, a White Oak Tree and a Red Oak Tree side by side show the difference every season. Swamp White Oak Seedlings, sold in bundles of 100, are another white group choice for larger plantings.

Care and keeping: When your bare-root oak arrives, open the box that day and keep the roots damp and shaded; never let them dry out. Plant while the tree is still dormant, in a hole wide enough to spread the roots, with the root collar at soil level. Water deeply. Our bare-root planting guide walks through each step.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a white oak and a red oak?

White oaks have rounded leaf lobes with no bristle tips, and their acorns ripen in one year. Red oaks have pointed, bristle-tipped lobes, and their acorns take two years. White oak acorns are less bitter, while red oak acorns carry more tannin and need a cold winter before they sprout.

Which oak tree is the prettiest?

That comes down to taste and where you plant it. For fall color, our red, pin and willow oak listings all show orange foliage. For a broad, classic shape, a white oak grown in an open field is hard to beat. Bur oak's fringed acorn caps add interest up close.

How many types of oak trees are there?

Oaks are a large group, with many species across the world. For planting in the eastern US, it helps to think in two groups instead: white oaks, such as white, bur and swamp white oak, and red oaks, such as red, pin, willow, water and black oak.

Keep reading

• How to Plant Bare Root Trees: A TN Nursery Guide
• Black Eyed Susan Care: First-Year Guide from TN Nursery

Types of oak trees compared