Sessile Oak, Durmast oak
Quercus petraea
Family: Fagaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Brown. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Oval.
Quercus petraea is a deciduous Tree growing to 40 m (131ft) by 25 m (82ft) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. It is in flower from April to May, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Wind. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist or wet soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
Height (m): 40
Where it is found
Woods, especially on acid soils and in the western part of Britain, where it is often dominant.
Europe, including Britain, from Norway south and east to Spain, S.W. Russia and Greece.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Seed - cooked. It can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. The seed contains bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. The traditional method of preparing the seed was to bury it in boggy ground overwinter. The germinating seed was dug up in the spring when it would have lost most of its astringency. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute. An edible gum is obtained from the bark.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Coffee: the various substitutes that can be used instead of coffee.
Gum: can be chewed as a chewing gum or can often be used as a sweetener or thickening agent in foods.
Medicine
Rating: 3
The oak tree has a long history of medicinal use. It is anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, astringent, decongestant, haemostatic and tonic. The bark is the part of the plant that is most commonly used, though other parts such as the galls, seeds and seed cups are also sometimes used. A decoction of the bark is useful in the treatment of chronic diarrhoea, dysentery, intermittent fevers, haemorrhages etc. Externally, it is used to bathe wounds, skin eruptions, sweaty feet, piles etc. It is also used as a vaginal douche for genital inflammations and discharge, and also as a wash for throat and mouth infections. The bark is harvested from branches 5 - 12 years old, and is dried for later use. Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc. The plant is used in Bach flower remedies - the keywords for prescribing it are 'Despondency', 'Despair, but never ceasing effort'. A homeopathic remedy is made from the bark. It is used in the treatment of disorders of the spleen and gall bladder.
Antiseptic: Preventing sepsis, decay or putrefaction, it destroys or arrests the growth of micro-organisms.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Bach: Plants used in the Bach flower remedies.
Decongestant: Removes phlegm and mucous, especially from the respiratory system.
Dysentery: Used in treating dysentery - an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhoea containing blood or mucus.
Haemostatic: Controls internal bleeding.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Other
Rating: 2
A mulch of the leaves repels slugs, grubs etc, though fresh leaves should not be used as these can inhibit plant growth. Oak galls are excrescences that are sometimes produced in great numbers on the tree and are caused by the activity of the larvae of different insects. The insects live inside these galls, obtaining their nutrient therein. When the insect pupates and leaves, the gall can be used as a rich source of tannin, that can also be used as a dyestuff. The bark is an ingredient of 'Quick Return' herbal compost activator. This is a dried and powdered mixture of several herbs that can be added to a compost heap in order to speed up bacterial activity and thus shorten the time needed to make the compost. The bark is very rich in calcium. An ink is made from the oak galls, mixed with salts of iron. The wood is a source of tar, quaiacol, acetic acid, creosote and tannin. Tannin is extracted commercially from the bark and is also found in the leaves. Wood - hard, tough, durable even under water. It is highly valued for furniture, construction etc. It is also a good fuel and charcoal. Trees can be coppiced to provide material for basket making, fuel, construction etc.
Basketry: Plant used in making baskets and other items such as chairs. Includes plants that are only used as an ornamental addition.
Charcoal: Used for fuel, drawing, deodorant, filter, fertilizer etc.
Compost: Plants used for activating compost heaps, providing biomass for composting, using as instant compost etc.
Fuel: Usually wood, plant materials that have been mentioned as being a good fuel.
Gum: Gums have a wide range of uses, especially as stabilizers, emulsifiers, thickening agents, adhesives etc.
Ink: Plants that can be used as an ink.
Repellent: Plants that are said to deter but not necessarily kill various mammals, birds, insects etc.
Tannin: An astringent substance obtaied from plants, it is used medicinally, as a dye and mordant, stabilizer in pesticide etc.
Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.
Attracts Wildlife: Plants noted for attracting wildlife
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Specimen, Street tree. Prefers a good deep fertile loam which can be on the stiff side. Dislikes heavy clay. Young plants tolerate reasonable levels of side shade. Found mainly on acid soils in the wild. Thrives in well drained soils but is also tolerant of periodic flooding. Tolerates exposure and strong winds if these are not salt-laden. A very important timber tree in Britain, it is also a food plant for the caterpillars of many species of butterfly, there are 284 insect species associated with this tree. Trees were often coppiced or pollarded in the past for their wood, though this is best done on a long rotation of perhaps 50 years. The tree flowers on new growth produced in spring, the seed ripening in its first year. Older trees have a thick corky bark and this can protect them from forest fires, young trees will often regenerate from the base if cut down or killed back by a fire. Trees transplant badly unless moved regularly. Hybridizes freely with other members of the genus. Immune to attacks by the Tortix moth. This species is notably resistant to honey fungus. Special Features:Not North American native, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms.
Propagating it: Seed - it quickly loses viability if it is allowed to dry out. It can be stored moist and cool overwinter but is best sown as soon as it is ripe in an outdoor seed bed, though it must be protected from mice, squirrels etc. Small quantities of seed can be sown in deep pots in a cold frame. Plants produce a deep taproot and need to be planted out into their permanent positions as soon as possible, in fact seed sown in situ will produce the best trees. Trees should not be left in a nursery bed for more than 2 growing seasons without being moved or they will transplant very badly.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Canopy; Bog Garden;
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 5-8
Growth: Slow
Soil: Medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist, wet
Things to keep in mind
Its other names
Local names
Synonyms
Q. sessiliflora. Q. sessilis.