Sessile Oak Also known as the Irish or durmast oak, Quercus petraea is a tall, deciduous, very long-lived tree with a broad, rounded crown and an upright habit. The leathery, rather shallowly lobed leaves are deep green, turning brownish-orange in autumn; they have a long leaf-stalk. Inconspicuous greenish male catkins and tiny red female flowers appear with the young leaves, and are followed by acorns, whose scaly cups sit directly on the twigs; acorns are not usually borne until the tree is over 40 years old. Sessile oak is a wonderful tree for wildlife; the leaves are larval food for the purple hairstreak butterfly and many other insects, providing food for birds, and the acorns are winter food for jays, badgers and squirrels – and, long ago, pigs and wild boar. The leaves rot down quickly, supporting insects and many fungi. As long as the soil is well-drained (it won’t tolerate waterlogged soil) sessile oak will tolerate hilly sites and poor, acid soil, but it does need plenty of light. Site: Tolerates exposure and hilly sitesSoil: Any well-drained soil, preferably moist and fertilePosition: Full sun or partial shadeSeason of interest: Spring to autumnHardiness: Extremely hardyHeight: 66-130’ (20-40m) Spread: 66’ (20m) or broader in 50 years If you are participating in the ACRES Scheme and want to order native plants, please go to our ACRES PAGE for information on how to order your plants. Please do not order online for the Acres Scheme.
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