The English oak is a deciduous tree native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, belonging to the Fagaceae family. Its various names derive from the Latin *robur* (strong) and *pedunculatus* (stalked), as the fruit is borne on a long stalk.
It is also known as the white oak, female oak, gravelin, cluster oak, and châgne.
It is a large tree, growing 25 to 50 meters tall. Its foliage is deciduous. It has a lifespan of 500 to 1,000 years, and even longer for some individuals. It is a monoecious and post-pioneer species.
The bark is smooth on young trees but becomes deeply fissured with horizontal cracks; the buds are ovoid; the leaves are alternate with very short petioles and auricles. The lobes are slightly marked (wavy); the acorns measure 1 to 5 centimeters and are borne on a long stalk (2 to 10 cm).
The largest one in Europe can have a circumference of up to 15 meters.
Differences from the sessile oak
The peduncle (the stalk that bears the fruit, the acorn) of the English oak is longer than that of the sessile oak.
The margin of the sessile oak leaf is more deeply and more regularly lobed.
The English oak leaf has more lateral veins (that do not end in a lobe).
The base of the English oak leaf has auricles, while that of the sessile oak is cuneate.
The leaves of the English oak are clustered at the tips of the twigs, while those of the sessile oak are more widely spaced.
The branches of the English oak are more twisted.
The bark of the English oak is more deeply fissured.
However, the two species often hybridize, which makes identification more difficult. It is even impossible to distinguish between cut wood from these trees.
The pedunculate oak is the quintessential tree of our European forests; since time immemorial, it has embodied strength, majesty, and longevity.
When it comes to woodworking, oak is a magnificent and majestic wood; the older and drier it is, the better it is. Still, it’s best to use it when it’s fairly dry.
