Content
- Oak tree determine - important distinguishing features
- Characteristics for the determination of oaks
- The growth
- The strain
- The bark
- The leaf shape
- The glans
- Difference between pedunculate oak and sessile oak
- Tips & Tricks
Oak tree determine - important distinguishing features
Everyone recognizes an oak - do you think? But it's not that easy. Especially the leaves look very different depending on the species. How to determine the most common oak species in Germany.
Characteristics for the determination of oaks
The growth
Most oak species have a very gnarled growth habit. The branches grow at different heights and are often bent or appear as kinked.
The strain
The trunk reaches a considerable extent over the years. In some species it is currently with a high crown approach. Other types of oak form a stem with bulges.
The bark
It is one of the most significant features of the oak tree. At a young age, the bark is smooth and has a light tint. Over time, the color changes to a brownish-gray tone. The bark tears sharply and forms patterns on the surface.
The leaf shape
The typical oak leaf is elongated with several indentations. It can be both green as in the pedunculate oak and sessile oak or red as in the red oak.
Oaks do not lose their leaves like other deciduous trees in autumn. Frequently, the dried leaves remain hanging until spring and is only gradually thrown off. Many of the dry leaves only fall when new leaves form.
The glans
The fruit of the oak is a nut, the glans. It is oblong and brown or reddish when mature. Very typical is the cap that covers the glans at one end. Ripe fruits separate themselves from the cap.
Difference between pedunculate oak and sessile oak
Stem and growth form are very similar. A grape oak can be recognized by the fact that many fruits with short stems are sitting on a branch.
The leaves of the sessile oak have a two to three centimeters long stem. The leaf shape runs sharper and the indentations are less pronounced than the pedunculate oak.
Sessile oaks are not quite as big as pedunculate oaks.
Tips & Tricks
Oak trees belong to the beech family. The botanical name is Quercus. The two species most frequently represented in Germany are the pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) and the sessile oak (Quercus petraea).