White Oak vs Mountain Maple - TreeTime.ca

White Oak vs Mountain Maple

Quercus alba

Acer spicatum

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

CUSTOM GROW

White Oak
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White Oak is large, long-lived tree with an irregular trunk divided into spreading, often horizontal, stout branches. A highly adaptable tree, White Oak features green acorns and beautiful green leaves that turn red-purple in the fall.

With a huge growth in bourbon and scotch over the past few decades there is an emerging shortage of white oak that is the primary tree used for cask barrels and aging.

Note: Most Oak species can be considered toxic for many animals.

Used to growing in the shadows of the damp forest, White Maple (aka Mountain Maple) is a great fit for shady and wet areas, such as beneath larger trees. Unlike most of its cousins, the White Maple is a shrub instead of a tree. It's still a maple, however, with sap that can be made into Maple syrup to prove it!

In May and June, the classic shapes of Maple leaves are joined by clusters of green and yellow flowers. Soon after, red samaras (aka helicopter seeds or whirligigs) appear. This distinctive appearance makes White Maple an excellent choice for giving urban yards a unique (and patriotic) look.

White Oak Quick Facts

Mountain Maple Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 2a
Height: 30 m (98 ft)
Height: 15 m (50 ft)
Spread: 15 m (50 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: fast
Life span: long
Life span: long
Suckering: none
Suckering: medium
Maintenance: medium
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: red-pink changing to bright yellow-green
Fall colour: dark red
Fall colour: purple to bright red to yellow
Bark: thin reddish or greyish
Flowers: yellow and green
Nuts: acorns
Seeds: winged samaras
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: white maple