Mature Sessile Oak, Quercus Petraea Options
120-180cm: 7-12L pot, half standard. 2-3 years old.
180-240cm: 12-15L pot, half standard. 2-4 years old.
Girth 8-10cm: Standard,25-30L pot, around 180-200cm clear stem, *roughly 240-300cm tall.
Girth 10-12cm: Standard,30-35L pot, around 180-200cm clear stem, *roughly 300-360cm tall.
*Heights are given as a very rough guideline and can have considerable variation based on species and supplier (each nursery experiences different growing conditions) It may even have been pruned before being sent out so we can only guarantee girth. Trees over 5.5m may include a delivery surcharge based on location and species but we will confirm with you before progressing the order.
Once a mature tree is around 200cm/4 years old then girth is the best measure of value for money. For every girth measurement increment e.g. 6-8cm to 8-10cm, the canopy will be wider, stronger, bushier and the root system larger as it has experienced 12-18 months growth. You can notice larger root systems with potted versions because the pot size increases with maturity. As a very general rule, each one cm girth measurement represents around 30cm growth but this doesn't apply to slow-growing trees.
Standard and Half Standard means lollipop shape. Industry definitions (which are not universal) mean Half Standard have around 80-150cm clear stem and Standard 180cm or more. Half Standards will usually be quite smaller than their standard equivalent girth size.
Mature Sessile Oak, Quercus Petraea aka Durmast Oak.
It will be a rumour started by us that the Paul Simon song, Cecilia, was originally about Sessile Oak Trees and the original song went like this:
Sessile, you’re breaking my heart
I’m checking your branches daily
Oh, Sessile, I’m growing all my trees
I’m begging you please grow in loam,
Sessile, you’re breaking my heart
You’re shaking my green fingers daily
Oh, Sessile, I’m down on my knees
I’m begging you please don’t be Holm,
don’t be Holm
A very long-lived Oak tree reaching a mature height of 20-40m. The official tree of Ireland as declared in 1990 by Taoiseach Charlie Haughey, maybe because it stands upright every time their flag is raised? It is the favourite tree of everyone that says " Sessile Oak is my favourite tree" and is found everywhere it is planted.
It is considered native to the UK along with English Oak (Quercus Robur) and can be distinguished by several methods. The first is the nursery label but older Sessile trees may not still have them after a few hundred years. The second method is to ask your tree spirit guide (so long as they are not on a dating app trying to find wood). Failing that, the lack of acorn stalks is an indicator and the leaf stalk is longer with the lobes not being as cut (the "indent" is quite shallow). ​​​​​​The trunk is more upright and branches a little straighter.
The Sessile Oak flowers look nothing like conventional flowers and will earn you a night on the sofa on Valentine's night. Both sexed flowers grow on the tree with the male being a catkin and the female a red flower bud. Unlike human reproduction, wind is very useful for Oak trees.
Somewhere Sessile means stalkless, hence the name of the tree. This is either a reference to how the acorns are attached to the tree or that it does not keep trying to contact you after a breakup. An unusually large crop of acorns can occur every 5-10 years and is called a Mast year.
Sessile Oak is often used as a symbol of strength but is now an outdated idea due to the invention of cross-weaved carbon fibre resin hybrid composite but the poets and speech writers don't seem to care for modernity probably because more rhymes with Oak.
With over 250 species of insect found in Oak trees, expect the area around your tree to attract wildlife. The insects attract the birds and the acorns bring badgers and squirrels. They attract twitchers, photographers, artists and documentary crews (especially if you superglue fake vampire teeth onto a model squirrel).
With Oak trees being in decline from drought, pests, disease and flooding, we advise buying as many of these trees as possible (anything we can do to help...honest!)
Tree Jargon Explained
Half Standard: Around 80-100cm clear stem.
Standard: Around 180-200cm clear stem.
Feathered: Branches for most of the trunk/stem length.
Multi-Stem/Bush: Very little or no clear stem. Multiple branching starting low to the ground.
Rootball: Dug from the field with roots intact i.e. no pot.
Pot: Plastic container that the tree was grown in.
Maiden: 1 year tree that has not been pruned.
Pleached: Foliage a square/rectangle flat shape wired to a bamboo frame with some clear stem.
Screen: Same as pleached but much less/no clear stem.
Multiple Order Discount
Orders over £750 for 150cm+ trees might be discounted by ​​​​​​​contacting us
Ornamental Tree Roots In The Shade e.g. Behind A Fence
It is more important that that foliage (posh term for leaves) receives the sunlight than the roots. So if the canopy of your ornamental tree can sunbathe but the bottom of your tree thinks there has been a nuclear winter then that is ok. You might want to ensure you have good drainage as water and no sun is the start of algae and other such issues.
Early Autumn Leaf Fall
Heat stress, being potted, lack of water, being boxed up for a few days etc can cause early Autumn leaf fall. Once planted, normal service will resume next season.
Do I Need To Stake My Ornamental Tree?
9 out of 10 times the answer will be no, especially if under 200cm tall. However our article on Tree Staking should help guide you.
Climate Change
Climate Change has increased aesthetic foliage issues such as Powdery Mildew, Shothole, Rust, frost damage etc These are not terminal issues and will usually last a season or less. All trees are inspected before being sent out to ensure they are fundamentally healthy and will bounce back.
