Search results
Oak supports 31 different mammals and acorns are one of the main attractions. They’re a favourite food of many woodland creatures including badger (Meles meles), deer, wild boar (Sus scrofa), squirrel and wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus). Acorns are also enjoyed by birds like woodpecker, rook (Corvus frugilegus) and nuthatch (Sitta europaea).
- English Oak
Common names: English oak, pedunculate oak, common oak....
- English Oak
- Overview
- Physical description
- Major species and uses
oak, (genus Quercus), genus of about 450 species of ornamental and timber trees and shrubs in the beech family (Fagaceae), distributed throughout the north temperate zone and at high altitudes in the tropics. Acorns provide food for small game animals and are used to fatten swine and poultry; the acorns of some species can be made into a flour for human consumption. Red- and white-oak lumber is used in construction, flooring, furniture, millwork, cooperage, and the production of crossties, structural timbers, and mine props.
Many plants commonly called “oak” are not Quercus species—e.g., African oak, Australian oak, bull oak, Jerusalem oak, poison oak, river oak, she-oak, silky oak, tanbark oak, Tasmanian oak, and tulip oak.
Britannica Quiz
Trees: Giants Holding the Sky
Quercus species are characterized by alternate, simple, deciduous or evergreen leaves with lobed, toothed, or entire margins. The male flowers are borne in pendent yellow catkins, appearing with or after the leaves. Female flowers occur on the same tree, singly or in two- to many-flowered spikes; each flower has a husk of overlapping scales that enlarges to hold the fruit, or acorn, which matures in one to two seasons. White oaks have smooth non-bristle-tipped leaves, occasionally with glandular margins. Their acorns mature in one season, have sweet-tasting seeds, and germinate within a few days after their fall. Red and black oaks have bristle-tipped leaves, hairy-lined acorn shells, and bitter fruits, which mature at the end of the second growing season.
Oaks can be propagated easily from acorns and grow well in moderately moist rich soil or dry sandy soil. Many grow again from stump sprouts. They are hardy and long-lived but are not shade-tolerant and may be injured by leaf-eating organisms or oak wilt fungus.
The taxonomy of the genus Quercus is confusing because of the many natural hybrids. Oaks can be separated into three groups, sometimes considered subgenera: white oaks (Leucobalanus), red and black oaks (Erythrobalanus), and (Cyclobalanus).
In North America several oaks are of ornamental landscape value, including pin oak (Q. palustris) and northern red oak (Q. rubra). White oak (Q. alba) and bur oak (Q. macrocarpa) form picturesque oak groves locally in the Midwestern United States. Many oaks native to the Mediterranean area have economic value: galls produced on the twigs of the Aleppo oak (Q. infectoria) are a source of Aleppo tannin, used in ink manufacture; commercial cork is obtained from the bark of the cork oak (Q. suber), and the tannin-rich kermes oak (Q. coccifera) is the host of the kermes insect, once harvested for a dye contained in its body fluids.
Special offer for students! Check out our special academic rate and excel this spring semester!
Learn More
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Jun 15, 2023 · Oaks are some of the longest-lived trees in the UK, with a potential lifespan of over 1,000 years. They reach maturity at around 40 years old, by which time many will be producing acorns. When trees reach 150-300 years old, they are usually classed as veteran trees. From 400 years old they are known as ancient oaks.
- Nic Wilson
- Quercus robur (the Common or English Oak) As its name suggests, this is the most common type of oak tree in the UK. The native English oak (sometimes known as Quercus pendunculata) is prized for its strong, weatherproof timber.
- Quercus petraea (Sessile Oak) Sessile Oak is a native tree similar to the Common Oak but can tolerate higher altitudes and wet sites. Sessile Oaks grow to around 30 metres tall and have straighter trunks and a less spreading canopy than Common Oaks.
- Quercus cerris (Turkey Oak) The Turkey Oak is a handsome tree with a spreading habit that suits landscape settings and large gardens. Although its native range is from southern France to Turkey, it has grown wild in Britain for several hundred years.
- Quercus palustris (Pin Oak) This North American native was introduced to the UK around 1800. The Pin Oak is a good urban tree as it can tolerate compacted, damp and heavy clay soils.
Common names: English oak, pedunculate oak, common oak. Scientific name: Quercus robur. Family: Fagaceae. Origin: native. A large, deciduous tree growing up to 20–40m tall. Also known as common oak, this species grows and matures to form a broad and spreading crown with sturdy branches beneath.
An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus Quercus of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere; it includes some 500 species, both deciduous and evergreen.
People also ask
How many types of oak trees are there?
What does a oak tree look like?
What is an oak tree?
Is English oak a tree?
How many species do oak trees support?
What is oak used for?
Cultural. In Druidic belief, oak trees play a key role in rituals, and are a source of mistletoe which often grows in oak canopies. A number of ancient lightning gods, including the Dagda in Irish mythology, Zeus in Greek mythology and Thor in Norse mythology are associated with oak trees, due to their frequency of being struck by lightning bolts.
