Wednesday Street Tree #12
Pedunculate oak
This is a good example of tree planting for the future. A pedunculate, or sometimes English, oak was planted on this wide and fairly busy corner some years ago, perhaps 25. It is doing well, coping with the traffic pollution and the compaction of buses.
It is rare to see pedunculate oaks being used as street trees, and those that you might see are often one of the fastigiate cultivars known as cypress oaks, but this one is a regular, non cultivar tree that we can expect to get big, broad and old. In such a difficult position, it’s unlikely it will become a multi-centurion, but who knows what our cities will be like when this tree matures, could it be growing in car-free glade as it hits 200 or 300? Only time will tell of course, but what a lovely idea to plant a tree with such potential on a north London street corner.
What is it?
Pedunculate oak
Quercus robur
Where is it?
Crouch Hill, London N4 4AD
///grant.tins.sock | 51.572809, -0.120166
I like to dream of a future where we are allowing of nature to reclaim ground in cities.
How wonderful. Almost makes me suspect it was a mistake! As with the recent giant redwood, I fear for its early demise because someone decides it’s ‘inappropriate’. Long live peduncles!/