English Oak
Quercus robur
- Native to:
- Albania, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Corse, Czechia-Slovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Kriti, Krym, Netherlands, North Caucasus, Norway, NW. Balkan Pen., Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Sardegna, Sicilia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Transcaucasus, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe, Ukraine
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Fagaceae
- Genus:
- Quercus
- Species:
- Quercus robur
- USDA Symbol:
- QURO2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Tree
- Height:
- 3500 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- apr,may
Wildlife Benefits
- Caterpillars:
- ★★☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★★ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Acronicta impleta, Automeris zephyria, Buck Moth (Hemileuca maia), Grote's buck moth (Hemileuca grotei), Nacophora quernaria, oak leaf blotch miner (Cameraria hamadryadella), Oslar's eacles (Eacles oslari), Peppered Moth (Biston betularia), Phyllonorycter harrisella, Phyllonorycter heegeriella, Pink-striped oakworm moth (Anisota virginiensis), Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus), Slosser's buckmoth (Hemileuca slosseri), Winter moth (Operophtera brumata), Yellownecked caterpillar (Datana ministra)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Moths:Coptotriche purinosella
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, squirrels, deer, small mammals, caterpillars
- Fall Color:
- brown, yellow
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Mature trees can survive low-intensity fires due to thick bark; resprouts from base if top-killed. Young trees are more susceptible to fire damage.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers deep soils with good fertility
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–120 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–60 days
- Notes:
- Acorns germinate readily after cold stratification; plant acorns immediately after collection in fall for best results as they lose viability when dried.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI