How do you tell the difference between red oak acorns and white oak acorns?

Answer 1

Red Oak acorns are bitter and White Oak acorns are not

White oaks have leaves that display rounded lobes. Red oaks have leaves that display pointed lobes.

White oaks produce mast annually. Red Oaks produce mast every other year.

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1. The most reliable distinction is in the inner surface of the acorn shell.

White oaks are glabrous(hairless) and red oaks are tomentose(hairy).

2. White oak acorns require one season to mature, whereas red oak acorn require two seasons.

3. White oak acorn initiate germination in autumn, whereas red oak acorn usually do not germinate until next spring.

4. Red oak acorn has a higher tannin content rather than white oak acorn.

but there are intermediate group between white oak and red oak.

Answer 2

Red oak has a bitter taste and pointy leaves while white oak is sweet and has rounded leaves. And I want to think that the red oak only produces acorns once a year or every other year, while the white oak produces year round. You may want to Google that though.