Many red oaks also have lobed leaves, but these leaves have pointed tips that end in a hairlike bristle. Some red oaks have unlobed, oval leaves with a sharp tip. The acorns of white oaks form in the spring, mature during the summer, and are shed in the autumn. The acorns of red oaks need two growing seasons to mature. In general, white oak acorns taste less bitter than do red oak acorns.
White oaks thrive throughout deciduous forests of eastern North America.
A species that is named the white oak is especially common. Its leaves usually have seven or nine lobes. The wood of the white oak makes excellent furniture. Several other white oaks are important members of eastern deciduous forests. The post oak grows in dry soils.