Quercus petraea

Mature Size, Growth, Longevity

Develops into a showy, oval to rounded tree with rugged branches. Landscape size: 90-100' tall and 50-70' wide. Has grown to 131' tall and 82' wide. Slow grower. This is a very long-lived tree, with the genetic potential to live over 1,000 years.

Native Range

Native to Europe and western Asia. Long cultivated. Will grow near a lake. A woodland tree, especially on acid soils, and in the western part of Britain, where it dominates. Also found in Anatolia & Iran.

Flower and Fruit Details

Monoecious spring flowers are pollinated by wind. Male catkins are yellowish-green to brown. Female flowers are small, resembling red flower buds. Acorns are nearly stalkless (sessile), ripening in September/October, and providing food for wildlife. Seeds ripen the first year (in about 6 months). Produces up to 50,000 acorns per year.

Leaf and Bark Features

Deciduous: Leaves resemble English Oak, alternate, simple, ovate-obovate, 3-7" long and 1"-3.75" wide, round lobed w/ 10-16 short lobes around the margin, truncate at the base, glossy dark green to blue-green on top, lighter beneath, with a 3/8-3/4" yellow petiole. Yellow-brown fall color. Bark is gray, w/ vertical ridges & fissures. Tannin is extracted commercially from the thick, corky bark. This thick bark helps protect the tree from forest fires.

Culture and Care

Zone 4-7. Performs well in acid or alkaline, loam or clay soils. Strong branches give it good wind tolerance. Prefers moist to wet soil in full sun to light shade, but will tolerate drought. Will withstand periodic flooding. Caterpillars and galls are common, but often not a serious problem.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts

Received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. National tree of Ireland. Good wildlife value. 3-season interest: Spring, summer & fall. Food plant for butterflies. Related, and similar to the English Oak, with which it hybridizes. After leaching out the harmful tannins, acorns have been ground to powder and used for thickening soups and mixed with other grains for making breads.

Suggested Uses

Good for woodland gardens or bog gardens. Could be used as a large specimen and shade tree, or as a boulevard tree.

Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA