The king of the forest
The oak tree is often referred to as the king of the forest, standing majestically among other woodland trees with its ancient wisdom. In the New Forest, the most prevalent oaks are the English Oak, the Sessile Oak, and the Turkey Oak, although the Turkey Oak was introduced as an non-native tree and is removed by Forestry England when possible. The simplest way to distinguish between the English oak and the Sessile oak is by their acorns. English oak acorns grow on individual stalks, while Sessile oak acorns grow directly attached to the same stalk at the base.
In the New Forest, some English and Sessile oaks hybridise, and even if you don't identify the Turkey Oak by its thinner leaves and hairy acorns, peculiar-looking acorns indicate their presence.
The knopper galls are produced by the knopper wasp. They lay their eggs in the buds of the English oak, and the gall grows between the acorn and the cup. Depending on how many grubs the gall is holding depends on the distortion of the acorn. The acorns fall from the tree in autumn, and if the acorn has not been predated, adult female wasps will emerge from the gall in spring. This cycle produces only females. These little wasps live complicated life cycles as they need both the English oak and the turkey oak to survive. Once the female has emerged, she will fly off to find a turkey oak and lay her eggs in the male catkins. This will create a second generation of wasps containing males and females. When they become adults they will lay their eggs once again in the bud of the English oak.
Both English and Sessile oaks are monoecious, meaning they have both male and female flowers on the same tree. In spring, the oaks produce long catkins, and the pollen is carried by the wind. By late summer, the female flowers start to transform into acorns. When the acorns are green, they are secured by a scaly cup called a cupule. As autumn arrives and the acorns turn brown, the cupule releases its hold, allowing the acorn to drop to the ground.
Oak trees possess an intelligent survival strategy: when an acorn drops from the tree, the root system releases a chemical reaction to stop the acorn from growing in its vicinity. Animals and birds help distribute acorns, enabling them to sprout in the ideal locations for a naturally regenerated woodland.
Although the New Forest is home to numerous oak trees, including notable ones like the Eagle Oak, the Moyles Oak, The Knightwood Oak, The Undersley Oak, and Adam and Eve, they are not ideal woodland trees. An old saying about oak trees states they take 300 years to grow, 300 years to live, and 300 years to die. Oaks can live up to 1,000 years, or even longer in some cases. It's challenging to determine the true age of an oak from its rings and girth because they often become hollow and develop burring on the bark. Burring occurs when an abnormal growth forms on the bark due to infection or injury. A healthy oak tree develops a central leader branch, the main and tallest branch, which is crucial for forming a strong, well-structured tree. If this leader is damaged, this can cause burring and small, wispy branches as the tree enters survival mode. This is often seen in ancient oaks as they start to lose their crown and shrink with age, known as stag-heading. In a woodland, an oak tree is considered ancient at 400 years old because it can only grow upwards, lacking the space to spread its canopy as it would in a parkland or woodland pasture, which are its more natural habitats. Some ancient oaks have survived due to their location, such as the Undersley oak, which has room to spread in a naturally generated woodland, or Adam and Eve, which stand in roadside hedges without competition from other trees, or my favourite, the Gritnam oak, also known as the dragon tree, which stands deep in an ancient, wild woodland near a clearing.
If you've joined me on a guided walk focusing on ancient trees, you'll be aware that the tourist oak at Knightwood, with its well-maintained gravel paths and nearby car park, is not the oldest oak tree in the forest as claimed. However, if you decide to visit it, take note of the numerous saplings growing around it, which suggest the tree is in decline, as it is no longer safeguarding its area from sprouting acorns.
The oak tree is the most supportive of wildlife among native tree species in the UK. It provides a habitat for a variety of creatures, including mammals, birds, insects, and fungi. An oak tree can accommodate up to 2,300 species. Often referred to as the thunder tree, it is frequently struck by lightning, likely because it typically stands alone in open pastures, making it the tallest feature in the landscape, rather than due to any divine intervention suggested by folklore. Druids hold oak trees in reverence, with some suggesting that the word "Druid" means "knower of the oak tree." Mistletoe, which grows on oak branches, is considered the most magical plant used by Druids. Oak trees are also linked to royalty; ancient kings and Roman commanders wore oak crowns, symbolising the strength and ancient wisdom these trees represent. Oaks frequently appear in tales of battles and heroes, such as Robin Hood's Sherwood Forest, and in more local legends like the New Forest's Rufus Stone, where an arrow from Sir Walter Tyrell deflected off an oak tree and killed the king. Or the Naked Man Tree with many of myth and legend attached to its presence. Every estate or manor boasts ancient oak trees with their own historical narratives. Given their long lifespan, these trees have likely witnessed countless stories of love, grief, hunting, and harvest beyond our wildest imaginations!
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