Quercus cerris

Quercus cerris, better known as the Turkey Oak, is a beautiful park tree that owes its name to its highly variable, even slightly anarchic habit, but more certainly to the bristly and downy ornamentation that covers the basal cut in which each of its long acorns rests. It is a fast-growing species that adapts well to soils with a tendency for limestone. The last asset of this unusual oak is its almost marcescent foliage, which, even when dry, remains attached to the branches for a long time.

The Turkey Oak belongs to the family of Fagaceae. It is native to southeastern Europe, and widespread from the Balkan Peninsula to the western shore of the Black Sea and to central Europe. It is a species of warm temperate climates, which appreciates limestone soils but dislikes prolonged droughts.

This fast-growing tree reaches an average height of 20m (66ft) with a spread of 10-12m (33-39ft), but shows a highly variable habit, more or less spreading, irregular. This oak develops a broadly conical crown that rounds off over time. It is not uncommon for its main structural branch to rise and extend to the top, taking over from the trunk by branching into robust branches that will form the crown. The trunk is covered with a rough and channelled bark, fragmented into long plates. The young branches are covered with a greyish and felty down. In spring, fuzzy buds with moss-like false leaves appear. They unfold into tough and rough leaves, dark green in colour, with variable shape, presenting 4 to 9 pairs of lobes, more or less deep. When autumn comes, the foliage turns yellowish-brown, remaining attached to the branches for a long time before falling. The flowering in May, with yellow colour, is quite discreet. This oak is recognisable by the curious appearance of its fruits: the majority of acorns are enclosed in a densely covered hemispherical cupule, with long frizzled scales, curved backwards, and covered with a grey felting. The large acorns, elongated, measure 2.5 to 4 cm (1 to 2in) in length and 2 cm (1in) in width. They are solitary or grouped in 2 to 4, orange at the base, and brown-green at their tip.  This species is quite sensitive to frost, which can crack its bark, but its foliage is resistant to mildew. The root system of this oak is deep and powerful, of a taproot type, thus providing a solid and long-lasting grip in the deep soils.

The Turkey Oak is a tolerant species that adapts to most of our regions, as long as it is planted in a sufficiently deep and not too dry soil. Resistant to cold, leafy until late in the season, perfectly tolerating pruning, it protects against wind, including in coastal gardens that it appreciates. It can be planted individually or in rows, in a grove, or even in a large hedge alongside the Holly Oak (Quercus ilex), the Portuguese Laurel (Prunus lusitanica), or large Photinias. Make sure to have enough space for this generous-sized oak.