English Oak

English Oak (Quercus robur) is a tree you plant for the next generation as much as your own. It reaches roughly 15m tall and 12m wide in a garden setting, building a broad canopy that turns bronze and gold before dropping for winter. It is frost hardy, wind firm and drought tolerant once established, but it needs real room: a large block or a wide verge, not a courtyard.

Why you'll love it

• Shade you can plan a garden around. A mature canopy near 12m across covers a lawn, a driveway turning circle or a whole outdoor seating area.
• Autumn colour, then winter light. The foliage turns bronze and gold in autumn, and once the tree is bare the winter sun reaches the ground beneath it.
• Built to last. Oaks are long lived and structurally sound, holding their limbs through wind that breaks faster growing shade trees.
• Tough once established. Frost hardy, wind tolerant and drought tolerant, so it copes with cold winters and dry summers alike.

Where it works best

Shade trees. Give it at least 12m of clear space in every direction, well away from buildings, paving and services.

Feature planting. A single oak on a lawn or in a paddock is a landscape in itself, and the bare winter branch structure is worth as much as the summer canopy.

Driveways and avenues. On a rural drive, plant 10m to 12m apart so the crowns meet overhead at maturity without crowding each other.

Growing English Oak in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun and open ground. This is a cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean tree, at its best in southern gardens, the tablelands and cooler inland districts. It is not suited to tropical or subtropical gardens, where the lack of winter chill leaves it thin and slow.

Soil. Deep soil matters above all, and it grows in clay or loam provided the site does not stay waterlogged. Dig a wide planting hole rather than a deep one, and work compost through the surrounding bed instead of only the backfill.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first three summers, longer than most trees need but it pays off in a deeper root system. After that it is genuinely drought tolerant, and a slow release fertiliser each spring for the first few years is enough.

Pruning. Formative pruning only, in late winter while the tree is bare. Set one clear leader, remove crossing limbs early, and lift the lower branches gradually over several years for clearance beneath.

What to expect when it arrives

We grow English Oak in five sizes: 300mm and 400mm pots, then 45L, 100L and 200L. The 300mm and 400mm plants are young single stemmed trees and the value choice if you are planting several. From 45L upwards you are buying a formed trunk and real height.

Trees delivered outside the growing season arrive bare of leaves, which is normal rather than a fault. They are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every tree carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The best canopy trees for creating shade
• Browse the deciduous tree range
• Trees and plants with autumn colour
• Advanced trees for immediate impact

Common questions

How much space does it really need?

Plan on 12m of width and keep it at least 10m from a house, a pool or paving. The roots are broad and the canopy heavy, so an oak squeezed into a suburban backyard becomes a problem within twenty years.

Are the acorns a risk to dogs?

Yes. Acorns are toxic to dogs and can also cause a blockage if swallowed whole, so raking them up matters in a garden with a dog that chews. Mature trees drop them in autumn.

How fast does it grow?

Around 30cm to 60cm a year once the roots are established, which is moderate rather than quick. Buying a 100L or 200L tree is the way to shorten that wait.