The Oak

The English or Pendunculate Oak has held a special place in history not least because it provided most of the timber used for building naval vessels. A mature tree below grows into a characteristically majestic shape , the crown being widely and irregularly domed and supported by a sturdy and massive trunk. This oak has leaves with very short stalks but the acorns  are carried in pairs on long stems. In spring the young green leaves emerge from their buds and the flowers appear. Male flowers are on very slender catkins which are grouped in bunches. Female catkins grow at the ends of new shoots. In the summer there is often further leaf growth. these leaves, speckled brush-cricket, are red.