From tiny acorns grow giant oaks – the great oak must be one of the best known and loved trees of the forest.
An extremely long living tree growing to massive proportions (sessile up to 40m and Pedunculate up to 45 metres.) Both trees are commonly seen throughout woodlands in Scotland.

Pedunculate Oak: The pedunculate oak is more spreading than the sessile. Its young twigs are brownish coloured and hairy, leaves are set in 5–7 pairs of lobes and measure approx. 100-120mm, there are small ear shaped projections at the base of the leaf and the stalk is no more than 5mm long.
Flowers appear between May and June. Male flowers in catkins and female in clusters.
The acorns, which most of us are familiar with, ripen in the same year and form clusters of 1-5 with the stalk measuring 40-80mm long. The cup of the acorn is made up of little scales, which are fused together except for at the tips. Diameter of the cup is approx 11-18mm.
This tree prefers a deep lowland and heavily alkaline soil and will grow best in a sunny, south facing area

Sessile Oak: Similar to the pedunculate oak but slightly smaller with a domed top.
Leaves are smaller and hairier, measuring 70-120mm with rounded lobes. The undersides are pale and have close-pressed hairs and reddish tufts in the vein axils.
The trunk is long and smooth with purplish-grey bark.
Flowers appear in May in male catkins and female clusters
The Acorns ripen in the same year and appear in clusters of up to 6. Cups are 12-18mm in diameter and have thin downy scales. Unlike the pedunculate oak the acorns have no stalk.
This tree prefers a light soil.