American white oak is one of the most popular species from the U.S. hardwood forests in export markets and is unique to North America. Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA) data shows U.S. white oak makes up 15.7% of total U.S. hardwood growing stock and that while 20.9 million m³ of American white oak are harvested each year, nearly 40 million m³ are growing in the hardwood forests in the same period. In general the sapwood of white oak is whitish to light brown and the heartwood is normally light to mid, or even dark, brown. The wood of white oak is mainly straight-grained with medium to coarse texture. Its excellent overall strength properties, relative to weight, make it a preferred hardwood species for structural applications.