Content
- How old are oak trees?
- Oaks grow old on average
- Age dependent on type and location
- Determine the age of an oak
- Tips & Tricks
How old are oak trees?
Oak trees can reach a ripe old age. This should be considered when planting an oak tree. It will stand in the square for many decades, if not centuries. So make sure you have a favorable location.
Oaks grow old on average
Age dependent on type and location
The age of an oak depends on both the location and the oak species. A healthy pedunculate oak brings it to 800 years, with the oldest oak in the world being around 1,500 years old. This old age is quite believable, because some of the oaks still living today have been mentioned in ancient documents.
Sessile oaks, the two most common oak species in Germany, are not quite that old at about 700 years old.
Oak trees are among the slow-growing trees that only start to bloom when they reach the age of 60. Only then do the first acorns develop.
Determine the age of an oak
With a trick, the approximate age of an oak tree can be determined. For this, the tree circumference is measured at a height of 1.50 meters. The circumference in centimeters multiply by 0.8. The result shows the probable age of the oak.
The location also plays a role in the investigation. In less favorable locations, the stems remain thinner than in good locations.
Exactly the age can only be determined by the radiocarbon method.
Tips & Tricks
So-called dew oaks exist in many places in Germany. They impress with their size and trunk circumference. Often these trees survive even when struck by lightning or parts of the crown are felled by storm.