Tall tree, to 80 feet. Bark whitish, furrowed to scaly. Leaves "feather-lobed" with multiple lobes on either side, and one at the end, toothless and hairless. Lobes do not have bristles on the tips. Leaves may be whitened beneath. Leaves red to brown and deciduous in autumn. Flowers are catkins in the spring, often unnoticed. Fruits are acorns, with shallow, bowl-shaped caps.

An important native forest tree; the acorns providing food for a variety of wildlife. Common in Wildwood in drier parts of the forests.

The feather-lobed leaves are characteristic of oaks, though not all oaks have them. The lack of a bristle at each lobe identifies the white oak group. Post oak is the only other white oak known in Wildwood; its leaves have 5 lobes, with the middle two being much larger than the others.

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