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Sessile oak (Quercus petraea)
Photo: Willow, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons

On the map in 3 countries tree

Sessile oak

Quercus petraea

Family: Fagaceae

On our map this plant appears in 3 countries and ranks highest in: Ireland, Luxembourg, France.

The sessile oak is a long-lived tree growing to 40 m; it differs from the pedunculate oak in having acorns set directly on the twigs and leaves on distinct stalks. It likes acidic, well-drained soils on hillsides and copes well with a damp oceanic climate. In Irish oakwoods the trunks and branches are thickly clothed in mosses, lichens and ferns, creating a rainforest-like ecosystem known as temperate Atlantic rainforest. Its timber was used to build houses and ships, and its bark provided tannins for tanning leather.

Description from: Ireland.

More: Wikipedia (en) Wikipedia (pl) Plants of the World Online (Kew)

Significance in each country

  1. Ireland no. 2 of 8 native

    The Irish word “doire” (oakwood) is hidden in the names of hundreds of places, including Derry, while Kildare is “Cill Dara” – the church of the oak.

  2. Luxembourg no. 4 of 5 native

    In the Ösling, oaks were managed as low coppices known as Louhecken, stripped of their bark for the tanneries every 10–20 years – Wiltz was an important tanning centre.

  3. France no. 7 of 10 native

    France has the largest oak forest resources in Europe, and the sessile oak, along with the pedunculate oak, is the most important tree in its forestry.