More than 300 species of oaks are native to North America. Only about 60 of these grow north of Mexico. The trees in these two groups differ chiefly in the shape of their leaves and in how long it takes their acorns to mature. White oaks have lobed leaves, and the tips of the lobes are rounded. 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.