Oak
Quercus robur

There are many species of Oak that have invaded these islands, but two species in particular are considered indigenous to Britain. 

Quercus Robur, or English Oak is probably the best known, with Quercus petraea or Sessile Oak a close second.

The English Oak is very common all throughout Europe, it thrives on heavy clay soil, but will grow practically anywhere its seed (acorns) can gain a hold.  Its acorns are carried on long stalks, which give the tree its alternative name of Pedunculate Oak. 

The Sessile Oak carries its acorns directly off the stem without a stalk at all; this is probably the easiest way to tell these two giants apart.  Sessile Oak produced an inferior timber to that of the English Oak, and the Sessile was mainly used and coppiced for firewood. 

In summer it’s easy to identify the oak, with its particularly shaped leaves and the budding acorns, in spring look out for the yellow katkins (flowers). Recognition in winter isn’t so easy, but take a look on the earth beneath the tree to the leaves that are dead and decaying, the shape is still very distinctive and will often tell you that you stand beneath the Oak tree. The branches are also quite distinctive, being knobbly and knarly, once recognised you won’t forget it. But, the bark too is quite distinctive, having deep grooves, which become more spread as the Oak ages, an Oak tree will not produce acorns until it is around 80 years of age, still quite young for an Oak, with some Oaks recorded as being over 1000 years old. 

Oak wood burns slowly and hot, with little flame but lots of smoke which is quite acrid due to its tannins. Very old oak is best, burning very hot and leaving little ash, it is excellent as a heat producer.

Folklore regarding Oaks abounds, it is the King of the wildwood, living for hundreds and sometimes thousands of years, it is the very essence of Britishness, “Hearts of oak” is the song of the British Navy referring to the Oak timbers much sought after for making British ships.  

The oak leaf used to be carved on British coinage, and they form the logo for the National Trust, the UK’s major conserver of land and historic properties. Acorns have been used as a food for pigs and as a coffee substitute,

Oak bark was used for tanning leather as far back as the medieval period, and although alder, birth, sweet chestnut and spruce were tried, nothing could compare with the tannins content of the bark of the Oak. Ink can be made from oak galls (these are created by the tree in response to a parasitic wasp named ‘gall wasp’, which lays its eggs in a particular structure on the tree - the roots, bark, buds, leaves, catkins or acorns. Chemicals secreted by the wasp grub alter the normal cell division process and cause the plant to produce gall tissues that enclose the grubs.) 

Oak is the chosen timber for wine casks, imparting a particular flavour to wine, whiskey etc that is stored within. Many old timbered buildings were made with oak beams, and are often still in place today, the oak being one of the strongest and most durable of woods.

The Oak is the tree most likely to be struck by lightening in a storm, it seems to actually attract the lightening strike, the Oak is also said to be the doorway to the underworld at high summer.  Kings swore oaths beneath the boughs of the Oak tree, with pacts and marriages often made legal whilst standing beneath the mighty Oak. Often known as gospel trees, clergy would receipt gospel truths in the shade of an Oak tree. 

The Oak, is said to be an important Druidic tree, the oak was often carved on the end of the Druids staff, and oak leaves formed a part of the decoration for these priests of old.

Our ancestors used the acorn as a source of protein, gathering, drying and grounding them into meal before cooking into flour to make bread, the acorn contains a great amount of tannin, so care needs to be taken to remove as much as possible before grinding the nuts into flour. This is best achieved by soaking the nuts for a few days, changing the water each day to remove the bitter tannin.

On 29^th May Oak apple day is celebrated, otherwise known as Royal Oak day, the significance of the date is an anniversary of Charles II restoration to the throne in 1660. Oak apple day took on the custom of May Day, and in some regions it overtook the old May Day celebrations. Oak Apple Day is still celebrated in Great Wishford near Wilton, where an ancient right still perpetuates to collect firewood in nearby Grovely Wood.

Early in the morning of 29th May, residents are woken by an excited crowd making its way to forest, where an oak bough is removed, decorated and then hanged from the tower of St Giles' Church. In order to maintain their charter, the villagers must proclaim their right at a special ceremony in Salisbury Cathedral, where they repeat the ancient refrain: "Grovely, Grovely and all Grovely". The celebrations are then continued back in Great Wishford, with dancing and general revelry.

As with some trees, the medicinal qualities of the Oak are limited due to the high tannin content of its bark. Tannin’s actions are astringent; it is used internally for diarrhoea and dysentery, and externally for haemorrhoids, mouth inflammation, sore throat and wounds. Care needs to be taken as Oak bark is highly astringent and can decrease the amount of nutrients absorbed from the diet, when taken internally should only be used for three to four days.

A decoction of acorns and oak bark, mixed with milk is an old country remedy taken to resist the effect of poisons and infections in the digestive tract, and to heal infection and inflammation of the urine system.