Our range of English oak (Quercus robur) bare root trees

We have Quercus robur bare root trees in several sizes and specifications.  They are grown from seed (acorns) but normally take more than one year to become viable plants.  The 1U1 2 year old plant specification are sown into seed beds and then left in situ for two full growing seasons before they are lifted ready to be sold, having had their roots trimmed underground at the beginning of the second growing season which helps them develop a fibrous root system and speeds up top growth.

In some years, depending on the growing conditions, some of our crop become ready to sell (at lower prices than normal) after just one year and if we have any of those they are listed on the product table as 1 year old plants which means they are seedlings (sometimes called whips) grown from seed in one growing season.

All these plants are grown by us in Herefordshire.

We always have several batches of seed in this species including UK provenance (often Welsh) so if the seed provenance is particularly important to you, please give us a call so that we can allocate plants from the best batch for your needs.

English Oak (Quercus robur) Summary

Quercus robur is the most majestic of all our native trees, and a home to more wildlife than any other native tree species.  It features in most woodlands and is sometimes the dominant species in lowland woodlands and forests - and actually the second most common species of tree in the UK. Oak wood is tough and gets tougher as it seasons.  Oak framed buldings are still constructed of wood that is not yet seasoned (green oak) so that it shrinks as it dries. Its timber is much prized for furniture and historically for ship building.  Admiral Lord Nelson used 6000 oak trees to build HMS Victoria and the 14th century roof of Westminster Hall was pre-constructed from 600 oak trees and then assembled on site.  But as well as producing construction timber, oak can also be coppiced every 20 -25 years.

Oak trees are very long living – some specimens are thought to be over 1000 years old but many do not make it to old age.  There are two examples in Somerset (Gog and Magog) thought to be 2000 years old and King Offa's oak in Windsor Great Park is thought to be 1300 years old (Offa was an 8th century Anglo Saxon king of Mercia).   Its form is a very broad, spreading crown with heavy branches.  The largest oak tree in the UK is in Sherwood Forest and has a spread of 28m and a root spread of 40m from the trunk - it's called Major Oak named not for it's magnificent size but after Major Hayman Rooke who's 1790 book called "Remarkable Oaks" commented on this particular specimen.

It is estimated that a 400 year old oak tree can host more life forms than any other native tree - up to 284 different species of insect in its canopy and support 2000 different types of bird, bat, lichen and fungi.

Oak trees produce up to 25m highly nutritious acorns over their lifetime (but will not start producing acorns until the tree is about 40 years old) feeding endless generations of squirrels, mice, jays, badgers, deer, pigs, sheep, cows and horses as well as producing the seed needed for the next generation of oak trees (we literally sow the acorns which contain one seed - see photo).  But in some years there can be tremendous acorn shortages and Autumn 2021 was one of those years, leading to shortages for tree nurseries (ourselves included) to sow the following spring and therefore shortages of tree saplings available to buy in the 2022/23 season and likely also in the 2023/24 season, so customers are advised to order early (even a year early) to secure planting stock.  

Sacred to the gods of thunder and lightening, the mythological reputation may have some basis in fact because mature oak trees are often taller than surrounding trees and they have a high moisture content, making them well placed to conduct lightening.  When trees are hit by lightening the sap heats up rapidly and evaporates into steam, blowing off parts of the bark and marking the course of the lightening strike.

On the nursery, we always have to wait with bated breath for Quercus robur acorns to germinate - they are the slowest of all the species we grow often taking 6 weeks or more from seed sowing to the first signs emerging.  Although they are sown quite deep into the soil, squirrels and crows will be watching us sow and many of the acorns we sow are lost to them.  In the wild, jays and squirrels bury acorns to just the right depth and then fail to remember where they all are. Quercus robur saplings take two seasons to grow from the acorns we plant whereas many other species are grown in one season and this is a large factor in the the higher cost of each sapling sold (along with the cost to us of the acorns).

Soil and Situation for Quercus robur

Quercus robur is particularly common in southern and central England but can be found throughout the UK.  Sessile oak (Quercus petraea) tends to be a better choice for northern, western wetter areas. Oaks prefer deep, moist, fertile soil but will grow on poor soils and in very windy situations where it grows slower, resembling more of a large, wind shaped shrub instead of a majestic straight tree.

Whilst Quercus robur is a very popular choice for productive woodlands, it is also used as a hedgerow tree.  It grows quickly to produce a broad crown but it does not prevent a hedge from growing properly under its shade and in its early years it will not steal moisture and nutrients from the adjacent ground because of its deep tap roots.  Later it puts out a large root plate with smaller tap roots which give oak trees good drought tolerance. Oaks grow well in sun or partial shade.

Quercus robur leaves, flowers and fruit

The leaves are about 10cm long with 4 or 5 lobes, with smooth edges and virtually no stalk.  The male flowers are long yellowish catkins which appear in bunches alongside the leaves and female flowers are small and inconspicuous.  Acorns on long stalks develop in autumn and mature from green to brown, and then pop out of the scaly cupule (fairy bowls!) and fall to the ground and “great oaks from little acorns grow”.   The alternative name of pedunculate oak comes from the "peduncies" or stalks that the acorns grow on.  The acorns are a highly nutritious foodstuff for small mammals which in turn attracts owls hunting for prey.

The leaves break down easily in Autumn to provide an excellent source of mulch to condition the soil.

The bark is smooth on young trees but as the tree ages, the bark becomes rugged and cracked which provide crevices for insects and bats.

The buds, leaves and branches of Quercus robur have an alternate pattern.

Eventual height and growth rate of Quercus robur

The eventual height is usually around 20m (but can be up to 40m) and it is slow growing at about 30cm pa. It can take up to 100 years for Quercus robur to become a viable timber source – we are currently harvesting timber from oak trees planted by the Victorians.

Also known as Pedunculate Oak or Common Oak.  Fagaceae family.