About this tree
Quercus petraea, commonly known as sessile oak or durmast oak, is native to Europe and western Asia. This large, deciduous tree can reach 20–40 m in height and has a broad, spreading crown. It is closely related to Quercus robur (English oak), but the key difference lies in the way its acorns are attached : Q. petraea forms acorns that sit directly on the twig without a stalk, whereas Q. robur forms acorns attached by a longer stem. The leaves of the sessile oak are deeply lobed and turn golden brown in autumn. The tree supports a wide range of wildlife, providing food and habitat for birds, squirrels, and insects. Its acorns are particularly valuable to woodland creatures, being more nutrient rich than the acorns of other oak varieties. These acorns have also been consumed by humans in times of famine and used as fodder for livestock such as pigs. The wood of sessile oak is particularly sturdy and has a long history of use in construction, furniture, and barrel making, as well as shipbuilding due to its density and strength. This density is a result of the wood’s slow growth rate, with trees taking up to 150 years to be considered mature. Its role in shipbuilding, and shipbuilders’ preference for trees of at least 200 years age, led to large planting programs during the Age of Sail. As ship technology moved on to metals, many of these forests still stand and have only recently reached maturity. In France there is the Forêt de Bercé, which provided beams to reconstruct the spire of Notre-Dame Cathedral. In Sweden there is a sessile oak forest of 300,000 trees on the island of Visingsö, which was planted in the 1830s. In the UK Admiral Lord Nelson ordered the establishment of Q. robur oak plantations that are now known as Trafalgar oaks. Even the United States has a Naval Live Oaks Reservation in Florida, mostly composed of Quercus virginiana. Its timbers are used to maintain the USS Constitution, the oldest battleship still afloat (launched 1797).