Common Name: English oak
Type: Tree
Family: Fagaceae
Native Range: Europe, southwestern Asia
Zone: 5 to 8
Height: 50.00 to 60.00 feet
Spread: 10.00 to 20.00 feet
Bloom Time: April
Bloom Description: Yellowish green
Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Street Tree
Flower: Insignificant
Fruit: Showy
Tolerate: Drought, Urban Conditions
Culture
Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Prefers moist well-drained loams, but adapts to a wide range of soil conditions. May be gown from seed, but seed-grown trees are not 100% true, often resulting in some variability as to form.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Quercus robur, commonly called English oak, is native to mixed woodland areas from the British Isles to the Caucasus. It has been widely planted in North America since the 1600s. It is a large, majestic, deciduous oak of the white oak group that typically grows in cultivation to 40-70’ (less frequently 100’) tall with a broad-spreading, rounded crown. Trunks are typically short, with ridged and furrowed dark gray to black bark. Insignificant monoecious yellowish-green flowers in separate male and female catkins appear in spring as the leaves emerge. Fruits are oval acorns (to 1” long) on 1-3” long stalks. Acorn caps extend approximately 1/3 the acorn length. Acorns are an important source of food for wildlife. Short-stalked, dark green leaves (3-5” long) with 3-7 blunt lobes per side are blue-green beneath. Small auriculate lobes at the leaf bases distinguish this species from the similar American species of white oak (Quercus alba).
Forma fastigiata is a narrow-upright, columnar, fastigiate form of English oak featuring dense, upright branching that rises at a sharp and narrow angle from the trunk. It typically matures to 50-60' tall and to 10- 20' wide. Leaves remain green throughout the growing season with little fall color.
Genus name comes from the classical Latin name for oak trees.
Specific epithet comes from the Latin word meaning robust in reference to the strength and durability of the tree.
Problems
English oak is considered to be a low-maintenance tree with few problems. Powdery mildew can be significant, however, particularly in humid climates such as the St. Louis area. Oaks in general are susceptible to a large number of diseases, including oak wilt, chestnut blight, shoestring root rot, anthracnose, oak leaf blister, cankers, leaf spots and powdery mildew. Potential insect pests include scale, oak skeletonizer, leaf miner, galls, oak lace bugs, borers, caterpillars and nut weevils.
Uses
Tall but narrow tree that will fit in small spaces where height is required. Accent. Screen. Street tree. Parks.