The sessile oak is a largedeciduoustree up to 40 metres (130 feet) tall,[11] in thewhite oak section of the genus (Quercus sect.Quercus) and similar to thepedunculate oak (Q. robur), with which it overlaps extensively in range. Theleaves are 7–14 centimetres (2+3⁄4–5+1⁄2 inches) long and4–8 cm (1+1⁄2–3 in) broad, evenly lobed with five to six lobes on each side and a1 cm-long (1⁄2 in)petiole. The maleflowers are grouped intocatkins, produced in the spring. Thefruit is anacorn2–3 cm (3⁄4–1+1⁄4 in) long and1–2 cm (1⁄2–3⁄4 in) broad, which matures in about six months.
Significantbotanical differences frompedunculate oak (Q. robur) include the stalked leaves, and the stalkless (sessile)acorns from which one of its common names is derived. (With the pedunculate oak, it is the acorns which are pedunculate, i.e. on stalks, while the leaves are not.) It occurs in upland areas of altitudes over 300 m (984 ft) with higher rainfall and shallow, acidic, sandy soils. Itsspecific epithetpetraea means "of rocky places".[12]Q. robur, on the other hand, prefers deeper, richer soils at lower altitude. Fertilehybrids withQuercus robur namedQuercus × rosacea are found wherever the two parent species occur and share or are intermediate in characters between the parents.[citation needed]
Sessile oak is one of the most important species in Europe both economically and ecologically. Oak timber is traditionally used for building, ships and furniture. Today the best woods are used for qualitycabinetmaking,veneers andbarrel staves.[15] Rougher material is used forfence construction, roof beams and specialist building work. The wood also has antimicrobial properties.[16][17] It is also a goodfuel wood. During autumns with good acorn crops (the mast years), animals are traditionally grazed under the trees to fatten them.[18]
Known as "Wales's national tree", the Pontfadog Oak was a sessile oak considered to be the oldest oak tree in the UK. Located nearChirk in North Wales, its girth was measured as over 16 metres (53 ft) in 1881 and it was understood to be over 1,200 years old, an age that was due to regularpollarding for much of its life. The hollow trunk had a girth of 12.9 m (42 ft 5 in).[19]
The tree died in April 2013 when it blew down in high winds.[20] However,the Crown Estate propagated a sapling from the original tree and planted it inWindsor Great Park.[21] A further five saplings have been cloned from the Pontfadog Oak, three of which will be planted at theNational Botanic Garden of Wales, with the other two going to sites near Pontfadog; one atChirk Castle and the other atErddig, as part of a woodland memorial to those who died during theCOVID-19 pandemic.[22]
The Fuck Tree is a sessile oak tree located inHampstead Heath, northLondon. The tree is located in an establishedgay cruising area and is famous for its slender trunk which facilitatesgay sex. Hampstead Heath has been used for gay cruising since theVictorian era, with the Fuck Tree being the most famous tree in the heath.[23] The Fuck Tree has gained recognition in LGBTQ+ art and culture, including the 2017 art filmFuck Tree by Liz Rosenfeld[24] and the 2023 art exhibitionSoft Ground at theGasworks Gallery by Trevor Yeung.[25]
^Mitchell, Alan (1974). "Field Guide to the Trees of Britain and Northern Europe (Collins Field Guide)", HarperCollins Distribution Services, New York.ISBN0002120356.
^Bullock, J.A. 1992. Host Plants of British Beetles: A List of Recorded Associations – Amateur Entomologists' Society (AES) publication volume 11a: A supplement to A Coleopterist's Handbook.
^Munir, Muhammad; Aviat, Florence; Lepelletier, Didier; Pape, Patrice Le; Dubreil, Laurence;Irle, Mark; Federighi, Michel; Belloncle, Christophe; Eveillard, Matthieu; Pailhoriès, Hélène (1 October 2020). "Wood materials for limiting the bacterial reservoir on surfaces in hospitals: would it be worthwhile to go further?".Future Microbiology.15 (15):1431–1437.doi:10.2217/fmb-2019-0339.PMID33156723.S2CID226276130.
