Vigorous sprouting from the stump or root crown is commonly observed after fire, mechanical damage, and other types of disturbance. Root stools develop under the ground surface after repeated fires or herbivory. Seedling sprouts persist beneath the forest canopy even in the absence of disturbance. Apical dominance can restrict the development of belowground buds when buds survive on aboveground portions of the plant. A series of selection cuts can produce stands with several age classes and can generate sufficient advanced regeneration for well-stocked postharvest stands.
Many herbaceous species grow in association with white oak.
It is absent from higher elevations in the northern Appalachians. 1967 NC, SC April Sept.-Nov. Seymour 1985 Blue Ridge Mtns. Wofford 1989 Adirondack Mtns.