The monarch of Britain and Ireland's native trees, sharing the throne with Sessile Oak, valued equally for its wildlife importance, landscape grandeur and superior timber. 'Pedunculate' refers to the stalk (peduncle) bearing its acorns. Sometimes unhelpfully called English or Common Oak.
Its native range is similar to Sessile Oak's but extends slightly further north in Scandinavia. Native to Britain and Ireland and very widespread, more so than Sessile Oak, absent from very few places such as small areas of northern Scotland and western Ireland.
Monoecious, with drooping male catkins and tiny red female flowers. A pioneer, thanks to palatable acorns dispersed by birds (especially the Eurasian Jay, Garrulus glandarius) and mammals. It produces a second summer flush, Lammas growth. Heavy seed years (mast crops) occur every three or four years. Long-lived, several specimens exceeding 1,000 years across north-west Europe.
Majestic and tall (35-40m) in woodland, with a huge spreading canopy when open-grown; branches heavy and often tortuous. Bark grey-brown, fissured with short deep ridges. Leaves oblanceolate, deeply lobed (up to five pairs), with two backward-curving basal auricles and intercalary veins, single hairs but no stellate hairs beneath, on a short petiole (2-7mm). Acorns stalked (2-9cm). Sessile Oak differs: regular lobes, long petiole, stellate hairs, sessile acorns.
Grows well on most fertile sites, including clay and some waterlogging, but dislikes limestone and acidic peat. It establishes and grows faster than Sessile Oak. Both are often grown with European Larch or Silver Birch to promote growth. Sudden light exposure can cause masses of epicormic shoots, giving attractive 'cat's paw' figure but weakening timber. Traditionally grown as standards over coppice for shipbuilding crooks.
Detailed under Sessile Oak (p. xxx).
Both native oaks suffer chronic oak decline, where several agents combine to erode tree health, and a faster, usually fatal acute oak decline in southern Britain. The water mould Phytophthora ramorum is a major threat in North America but currently low here, though feared to mutate. The defoliating Oak Processionary moth (Thaumetopoea processionea) stresses trees and harms human health through its urticating hairs.
Like Sessile Oak, its timber is superior to most, with durable heartwood and high strength. It was the wood of choice for traditional shipbuilding, barn and house framing, and joinery. 'Brown Oak', prized by cabinet-makers, results from the Beefsteak Fungus (Fistulina hepatica) in the stem.
