Illinois State Tree: White Oak

State Trees 1 Minute

White oaks prefer rich, well-drained soil. In Illinois they are found in a variety of habitats, but they grow best on uplands, slopes, and terraces. The geographic range of white oak extends from Maine to Minnesota, south to eastern Texas and northern Florida.

White oak can be very large. Individual trees commonly reach a height of 100 feet. When growing in the open, they often have widely spreading branches, making them excellent shade trees.

The leaves of the white oak are quite variable in size and shape. They generally are between five and nine inches long. They are narrow toward the stem and have seven to nine lobes. The leaves turn red or purple in the Fall.

White oaks begin to produce acorns when they are about twenty years old. The acorns are about an inch long. Acorns are produced in the Fall, and the number varies from year to year. Large numbers of acorns are produced every four to ten years. When acorns fall to the ground, they are an important food for many kinds of birds and other animals.

The wood of the white oak is strong, durable, and beautiful. For these reasons the wood is harvested for use in cabinetry, interior finishing, and general construction. The bark is pale gray and narrowly furrowed. It has scaly ridges and smooth patches that are a result of a fungus that invades the outer, non-living portion of the bark.

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Published by pat frederick

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70 thoughts on “Illinois State Tree: White Oak”

    1. Good Morning, Pat!

      Clear sunrise. Dew point and humidity dropping as another high pressure builds 👍 should get into 80s today.

      Mowing day. Grass will slow down soon 🤞 still a weekly chore.

      Found a couple nice acorns in yard and saved them, remembering the story of you and your granddaughter planting them 😊

      Take care. Happy Friday!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Good Morning Gina!
        we’ve gone to overcast skies again. It’s become a tradition. we have 6 young sprouts holding their own–safely indoors for now…lol–
        Enjoy your mowing!
        May God Bless You!

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Morning, Pat! Clouds, some fog and humidity again today, temp @ 72. Had to refill the jelly feeder again – now that all the finches are eating it, it goes much quicker.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Good Morning Filly!

        while we were trimming that tree yesterday, i got a close up look at the “sticker” bushes lining the driveway on one side–tons of berries on them. if the bears don’t get to them first, i suspect the words will be down there soon.

        I’m glad you said finch–because the last time to mentioned them i wanted to check out the photos to see if we have those and forgot. some types of finches have the thicker beaks like the grosbeaks so maybe those are coming to the feeder. I will habe to watch now! thanks!

        Liked by 1 person

  4. I’ve decided on a red maple tree for mom.

    Years ago, when my sister passed, I planted purple hyacinths in her honor on the bank in front of the garden. They came up and bloomed and smelled wonderful! the first year. then the squirrels dug up and ate the bulbs.

    When hubby’s father died, the funeral home gave the family an evergreen sapling and hubby planted it in a pot and had it at his office. It currently is sitting in the corner in the living room. When his mom passed, we planted hers and had it on the deck where it was doing fine till something dug it out of the pot and it died.

    Since then, my father passed and we got an oak tree for him. It’s growing just fine along the driveway–straight and perfectly shaped. I bought winter pear trees in memory of my sister and brother in law last year and they’re doing great as well–same side as Dad’s oak along the driveway. So i told hubby I want to put Mom’s tree between the oak and the pear trees and i picked a red maple–red was mom’s favorite color.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I wish i could talk hubby into picking a replacement tree for his mom–one we could put along the driveway,, but he keeps saying no.

        we had no idea the animals would come up on the deck as frequently as they do to eat stuff!

        one year, I had potted geraniums–they were gorgeous for a couple of weeks…then something ate them.

        one fall I put mums on the front steps, the deer ate the bottom ones they could reach and the squirrels dug out the rest. the lady at the nursery said something about them liking the roots…sigh

        Liked by 1 person

  5. Jake

    July 10, 2026 9:17 am

    Another win for President Trump, Texas, and all of us US citizens.

    Federal Appeals Court Ends Texas In-State Tuition for Illegal Aliens
    https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/07/09/federal-appeals-court-ends-texas-in-state-tuition-for-illegal-aliens/

    In a decision handed down Thursday, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a 25-year-old Texas law allowing these discounts directly conflicts with federal law. The court pointed to a federal statute that says states can’t give higher education benefits to undocumented immigrants based on where they live unless they offer those same perks to all U.S. citizens, regardless of what state they’re from.

    Under the Texas rules, out-of-state American citizens were being charged much higher tuition rates than undocumented students living in Texas, which the court said is illegal.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. As far as I’m concerned, we’ve got waaay too many so-called “representatives” in Congress. This guy has allegedly been “long influential on immigration issues” yet I’ve never even heard of the guy!!! As far as I’m concerned, birth citizenship should ONLY be afforded to those children born of US citizens – period!

    EXCERPT: “Pushing back against the recent Supreme Court ruling that protected birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment, House Republicans are renewing a legislative push to restrict birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants in order to force the issue back before the high court.

    Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., a House subcommittee chairman long influential on immigration issues, told the Just the News, No Noise TV show on Thursday that he was co-sponsoring congressional bills aimed at clarifying the scope of birthright citizenship, ensuring that it only applied to children of citizens, permanent residents, or military members. 

    “Hopefully, by limiting that, we’ll give it another shot at the Supreme Court,” Grothman said. 

    Specifically, Grothman is co-sponsoring the Birthright Citizenship Act which, by amending the Immigration and Nationality Act, restricts birthright citizenship to children born to parents who are “(1) a U.S. citizen or national, (2) a lawful permanent resident residing in the United States, or (3) a non-U.S. national (alien under federal law) with a lawful immigration status who is performing active service in the Armed Forces.”

    Grothman stated he hopes Speaker Mike Johnson will bring the bill to the House floor for a vote “as early as July.” …….

    https://justthenews.com/government/congress/hld-republicans-push-clarifying-legislation-supreme-court-birthright

    Liked by 1 person

  7. I just don’t completely trust Israel…..

    Just The News: “Israeli officials shared intelligence with the United States regarding an alleged Iranian assassination plot against President Donald Trump, sources told the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, which comes amid renewed tension with the Middle Eastern country.

    The president declared a ceasefire with Iran was “over” on Wednesday after Iran attacked three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week. The U.S. has since retaliated against Iran over the attack.

    Details regarding the assassination plot were not immediately clear and the Israeli embassy in Washington has declined to comment to the Wall Street Journal. But the White House referred the outlet to comments the president made on Wednesday. 

    “They want to take out the U.S. leader—me,” Trump said on his way to the U.S. from Turkey. “I’m on every list. I saw this morning, I’m on every single one of their lists. And so far, I guess I’ve been a little bit lucky, but that maybe doesn’t last very long.”

    The president also spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, and the prime minister’s office said they agreed to continue “coordination between the countries.”

    Reports of the alleged plot comes the same day that Iranian mourners displayed banners that vowed revenge against the American president for the death Supreme Leader Ali Khameinei. Some chanted for Trump’s death and others warned in a banner that they would “kill Trump.” 

    Other signs vowed revenge against Trump, Vice President JD Vance, War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Netanyahu for Khamenei’s death, according to the New York Post.”

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Just The News: “The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a ruling Thursday that states are prohibited under federal law from offering in-state tuition to illegal migrants at public universities, a major win for states like Texas trying to fight the scourge of illegal migration.

    The ruling comes after the Justice Department sued multiple states over the issue, including California, Kansas, New Jersey and Texas. Portions of the Texas Education Code previously allowed illegal migrants to receive the discounted tuition price as long as they reside in the state. 

    The order comes after Texas and the Justice Department agreed to have a federal judge block the program. A judge did sign off on a permanent injunction on lower tuition rates for undocumented students in June 2025.

    The three-judge panel said in a 2-1 ruling that they could not intervene because federal law blocks the Dream Act and that a lower court was correct in ruling that two advocacy groups, a community college, and a student could not intervene and undo the consent judgment and dismissed the remaining claims for want of appellate jurisdiction.

    “The district court correctly denied intervention after concluding that they could not plausibly defend the preemption claim,” the appeals court wrote. 

    Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott celebrated the ruling in a social media post, describing it as a “major victory” for the state and the “rule of law.”  

    “Texas and the Trump DOJ just secured another major victory for the rule of law,” Abbott said on X. “The Fifth Circuit upheld the END of in-state tuition for illegal immigrants in Texas.”

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Just The News: “The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to weigh in on the latest water squabble in the West, where Nebraska has accused Colorado of violating a century-old water rights agreement.

    Nebraska has set aside $600 million for a new canal that would start along the South Platte River in the northwest corner of Colorado. But the state alleged Colorado has sought to impede the effort, in violation of its compact with Nebraska. The lawsuit also argues that Colorado has not given Nebraska its due amount of water from the river.

    The Supreme Court announced it will hear the states’ arguments on the issue, giving Colorado until late September to respond. The move comes as water rights grow into an increasingly tense political issue in the West, with Colorado simultaneously involved in the unresolved Colorado River negotiations.

    “Nebraska will finally have the opportunity to prove that Colorado has violated the Compact and to hold Colorado accountable for depriving Nebraska of water that rightfully belongs to our state,” Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers said in a statement after the Supreme Court announcement last week.

    The South Platte River Compact, signed by the two states in 1923, divvied up water rights and assigned an order of priority to its access. Under the agreement, Colorado is required to allow a minimum of 120 cubic feet of water per second (cfs) to flow into Nebraska from the river, assuming there is enough water to do so. This only occurs during the irrigation season, between April 1 and Oct. 15, while Colorado has exclusive access to the rest of the year.

    Colorado has argued that shortages on Nebraska’s water requirements have come from a total lack of supply, which the contract does not require the state to make up for.

    The Colorado Department of Natural Resources told The Center Square in an email that if it shuts off “junior” water users, those with rights to the river after Nebraska’s, and there is still not enough water to meet Nebraska’s allotted amount, then that is not a break with the contract.

    But Nebraska Attorney General Hilgers told reporters last week, “We absolutely have not gotten the water to which we are entitled. In fact, it’s gone back decades.” The Supreme Court complaint also argued that Colorado had given junior water users access to the river before Nebraska.

    In May, U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer recommended that the Supreme Court partially take up Nebraska’s lawsuit and focus on the complaint that Colorado was not delivering its contracted water. Sauer and the U.S. Department of Justice filed an amicus brief in support of Nebraska.

    The compact also kept the door open for Nebraska to build a canal from the river starting in Colorado to draw additional water, up to 500 cfs, during the non-irrigation season.

    State lawmakers proposed the project in 2022 and set aside over $600 million for construction of the Perkins County Canal in 2023.

    “This represents the most significant water infrastructure investment ever made by the State,” Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment Director Jesse Bradley said in an April statement. “This project will ensure the South Platte River will continue to flow into Nebraska for use by irrigators, power providers, municipalities, and the environment all across the state.”

    Bradley said construction on the canal is planned to finish in 2032.

    As part of the lawsuit, Nebraska argued that Colorado has attempted to block its canal construction effort, including by fighting Nebraska’s eminent domain effort.

    In a rare interstate move early last year, the state of Nebraska offered $1.4 million for 650 acres of land to Colorado landowners. The offer was accompanied with a threat of forced land purchase, eminent domain, according to Nebraska Public Media. The use of eminent domain across state boundaries was protected in the 1923 compact.

    Nearly a year after Nebraska sued Colorado over the river water rights, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the case. The decision came on June 29 and was quickly followed by a rebuttal by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser.

    “Colorado is complying with the South Platte River Compact and not interfering with Nebraska’s efforts to build the Perkins County Canal,” Weiser said in a statement in reaction to the Supreme Court’s announcement. “Today’s court decision merely opens the door for Nebraska to bring its claims against Colorado. Nebraska’s burden to prove those claims is incredibly high and we will vigorously defend Colorado’s full entitlements under the compact.”

    In May, Sauer, the solicitor general, recommended that the Supreme Court partially take up the lawsuit, with a focus on Nebraska’s complaint that Colorado was not delivering its contracted water. The DOJ brief called the complaint of Colorado’s efforts to block the canal construction “unripe,” on account of the effort only beginning in 2023.

    Across the western U.S., water rights have become a central political issue in recent years amid decades-long droughts and booming populations. The issue has been most visible in the ongoing Colorado River negotiations, which include seven U.S. states and multiple other parties.

    “Ultimately, the supply of water – I don’t want to say it’s zero-sum – but it’s close to zero-sum,” said Hilgers. “Either we get the water to which we’re entitled, or Colorado land owners get that water. What we’re trying to do is fight for our water supplies.” Hilgers added that he thought the Supreme Court case could go on for years before a resolution.

    A Supreme Court order for Colorado to file an answer to Nebraska’s complaint within 30 days was granted a 60-day extension until Sept. 28, the Colorado Attorney General’s office told The Center Square.”

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Friday Funnies: Brain Freezeand other true stories

    Dr. Robert W. Malone, Jul 10, 2026

    Bizarrely, I used the above meme two years ago when we all thought the turtle was brain dead – after freezing in the middle of a speech for almost a minute – turns out Mitch wasn’t quite dead then either.

    Jeez….Time to retire already!

    Liked by 1 person

  19. kalbokalbs

    kalbokalbs(@kalbokalbs)

    Online

    Wolf

    July 10, 2026 11:25

    NOW: President Trump reveals Iran just BEGGED him to resume “talks” — and he has agreed, but made clear the ceasefire is OVER

    47 is making the power play! NO GAMES, strikes at any time he deems fit.

    “The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue “talks.” We have… pic.twitter.com/yFJBHOi4Lk

    — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 10, 2026

    NOW: President Trump reveals Iran just BEGGED him to resume “talks” — and he has agreed, but made clear the ceasefire is OVER

    47 is making the power play! NO GAMES, strikes at any time he deems fit.

    “The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue “talks.” We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP”

    Now the mullahs will see what “no more Mr. Nice Guy” looks line

    Liked by 1 person

  22. Valencia, Spain, the Falles, a festival.  During the celebration, hundreds of women, like Marta here, called Falleras, wear sumptuous dresses.

    Seine-Maritime, Normandy, France

    Studebaker Avanti R2

    Making Bugatti type 35s in the Molsheim factory

    Full Moon Over Mt. Hood, Ron Brown; Oregon, March 2, 2026

    Liked by 1 person

  24. holy hannah!

    we just a torrential down pour! lost internet and now there’s a small rive of mud flowing down the one side of the driveway!

    and just as quickly as it started…it stopped.

    Liked by 1 person

  25. eilert (@guest_1628339)

    Online

    July 10, 2026 14:22

    JUST IN: President Trump announces if he’s assassinated by Iran, he has left instructions to BOMB them “at levels NEVER SEEN BEFORE” — NYP

    Hopefully we NEVER get CLOSE to that happening

    TRUMP: “The only thing is, I’ve left instructions — if anything happens, to just… pic.twitter.com/X5Z2N5XxBe

    — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 10, 2026

    JUST IN: President Trump announces if he’s assassinated by Iran, he has left instructions to BOMB them “at levels NEVER SEEN BEFORE” — NYP

    Hopefully we NEVER get CLOSE to that happening https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/svg/1f64f-1f3fb.svg

    TRUMP: “The only thing is, I’ve left instructions — if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they’ve never seen before…I hope you’ll miss me.”

    47 WILL make it through his term and beyond!

    Liked by 1 person

  26. WeThePeople2016

    July 10, 2026 3:09 pm

    JUST IN: The RNC has just SUED New Jersey’s Democrat Secretary of State after it was exposed they let people vote who have *NEVER LIVED IN THE STATE*

    “[NJ allows] non-residents who have never lived in New Jersey to register and vote in the state’s elections.”

    Join @SGTnewsNetwork

    Video:

    https://t.me/SGTnewsNetwork/143250

    Like

  27. 🚀 Another SpaceX Jellyfish

    “A Falcon 9 launch before sunrise produced one of the most spectacular “space jellyfish” displays of the year.

    https://www.instagram.com/reel/Daklx8IRTnC/

    One photographer even managed to capture the rocket’s payload fairings falling back toward Earth—a remarkably rare sight from the ground. Sometimes rocket launches look less like engineering…and more like modern art.”

    📜 Lost for 250 Years

    A rare copy of the Declaration of Independence has been discovered inside Britain’s National Archives.

    printed copy declaration of independence london national archives
    The copy of the “Exeter Declaration” found at the National Archives.

    The document had been seized by the Royal Navy in 1776…then quietly forgotten for two and a half centuries. History has a remarkable habit of hiding in plain sight.

    🔗 Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/world/europe/rare-declaration-independence-found-in-uk-rcna352852

    🦘 Nature’s Plot Twist

    Meet the tree kangaroo. Yes…Kangaroos that abandoned hopping across Australia…and decided climbing trees sounded like a better career choice. Evolution has an excellent sense of humor.

    Liked by 1 person

  28. 🔊 The Mystery of Mount Shasta’s Talking Forest

    Remember the mysterious solar-powered speakers discovered scattered across a hillside near Mount Shasta? The mystery has finally been solved. No government experiment. No alien communication array. Just one anonymous man broadcasting messages of peace, veganism and compassion across the forest. Reality remains slightly stranger than fiction.

    ❤️ Most Hopeful Story🦅 America’s Bald Eagles Are Back

    A comparison of occupied bald eagle nests in Wisconsin from 1974 to 2019 tells an incredible conservation story.

    From near extinction…to thriving once again. Proof that, occasionally, humans really can fix something.

    Liked by 1 person

  29. Just The News: “The United States Treasury Department on Friday announced sanctions against the personal banker of Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, targeting his network of assets abroad that benefit the country’s most senior leadership. 

    The banker, Ali Ansari, is an Iranian national who lives abroad in Dubai, where he has used his ties to the Iranian regime to embezzle government funds and amass “a global network of investment properties and financial holdings,” according to the U.S. government. 

    His efforts, the agency says, serve to enrich the Supreme Leader himself as well as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, the regime’s paramilitary force tasked with keeping the Islamic revolutionary regime in power.

    “The so-called Supreme Leader is hiding in seclusion while his regime crumbles,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said in a statement. “Treasury will continue using every tool at its disposal to isolate him and other regime elites from the global financial system.  We will preserve these assets for the Iranian people.” 

    The Treasury Department said the new sanctions are a direct response to Iran’s new attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week that ended the fragile ceasefire between Tehran and Washington under a Memorandum of Understanding negotiated by U.S. Vice President JD Vance. 

    In addition to sanctions against Ansari and his network, the Treasury Department announced measures targeting Iranian exchange houses which move money for sanctioned Iranian banks.”

    Liked by 1 person

  30. TheseTruths

    TheseTruths(@thesetruths)

    Offline

    Wolf

    July 10, 2026 16:38

    JUST IN: Nick Shirley just dropped a FRAUD BOMBSHELL — he showed up in New York to press daycares and found LUXURY CARS out front

    “They’re FREAKING OUT right now.”

    “Is there fraud taking place in some of these daycares?”

    Then they KICK HIM OUT

    “We just want to know WHAT… https://t.co/NdYnAU6XE4 pic.twitter.com/syLEgoalXk

    — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 10, 2026

    Nick Shirley just dropped a FRAUD BOMBSHELL — he showed up in New York to press daycares and found LUXURY CARS out front

    “They’re FREAKING OUT right now.”

    “Is there fraud taking place in some of these daycares?”

    Then they KICK HIM OUT

    “We just want to know WHAT that $5.5 MILLION DOLLARS is being used for!”

    “Nobody speaks English here. Our tax dollars are going to places like these. Straight from NY Medicaid! No one can answer ANY QUESTIONS!”

    Keep exposing it all, @nickshirleyy

    Liked by 1 person

  31. Secretary Marco Rubio

    Department of State

    @SecRubio

    Laotian national Tou Lue Vang was convicted of sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl in Minnesota.  He was set to be deported until @GovTimWalz issued him a pardon. Then, I revoked his legal status. @ICEgov has removed him from the U.S. and he will never endanger another American.

    Liked by 1 person

  32. Troublemaker10

    July 10, 2026 4:15 pm

    “In the Oval Office, President Trump is officially SWEARING IN John Rich as US Special Envoy for American Landowners”….

    Cont and video linked…

    AWESOME! In the Oval Office, President Trump is officially SWEARING IN John Rich as US Special Envoy for American Landowners

    He’s tasked with advocating for FARMERS, rangers and rural property owners against government overreach and corporate or activist pressure … pic.twitter.com/qOv9iPpv7V

    — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 10, 2026

    Liked by 1 person

  33. Eric Daugherty
    @EricLDaugh
    BREAKING: Sen. Mike Lee just amplified the fact that Vice President JD VANCE has the FULL AUTHORITY to overrule the Democrat-linked Senate Parliamentarian

    SCOTT PRESLER: “There will come a time that Vice President Vance needs to overrule the parliamentarian. It’s within his authority to do so.”\

    JD is President of the Senate.

    She is a HUGE roadblock to passing bills like SAVE America! Thune should just fire her.

    This would be a MONUMENTAL move: The last time a sitting VP — the President of the Senate — over ruled the parliamentarian was in 1975

    Any means necessary! @BasedMikeLee @ScottPresler

    BREAKING: Sen. Mike Lee just amplified the fact that Vice President JD VANCE has the FULL AUTHORITY to overrule the Democrat-linked Senate Parliamentarian

    SCOTT PRESLER: “There will come a time that Vice President Vance needs to overrule the parliamentarian. It’s within his… pic.twitter.com/frtwrwPjqZ

    — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 10, 2026

    Liked by 1 person

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