Quercus petraea Insecata - Sessile Oak

Quercus petraea 'Insecata' is an original and rare variety of English oak or sessile oak, with deeply incised foliage. The leaves are longer than those of the species, thread-like and incised, as if nibbled by insects. This heirloom variety, found in botanical gardens, arboretums, and collections, develops a wide and irregular crown, massive and twisted branches located towards the lower part of the trunk, deciduous foliage that provides pleasant shade in summer, and numerous acorns that delight small animals. Its growth, more modest than that of the species, still requires space in a large garden.

The sessile oak, also known as the English oak, durmast oak, rock oak, or black oak depending on the region, belongs to the Fagaceae family. It is native to a large part of temperate Europe. It prefers sub-oceanic to oceanic climates or continental climates without excess and not too dry. It is a spontaneous species of hills and low mountains, where it can be found up to 1600 metres in altitude. It is a light-demanding species, although young individuals appreciate light shade. More tolerant than the pedunculate oak, able to grow in rocky soils, slightly calcareous and occasionally dry, it nevertheless prefers loamy-sandy soils that are neutral to acidic, fresh, deep, and well-draining.

Quercus petraea 'Insecata', also known as 'Laciniata', is a variety distinguished by its astonishing foliage, deeply incised, with leaves measuring up to 15-20 cm long. It reaches a height of 10 to 20 m at maturity depending on the growing conditions, with a width of 7 to 14 m. The growth of this oak is rather slow. The rather short trunk is covered with initially green and smooth bark, which then becomes dark, thick, and slightly fissured. The leaves turn brown, quite late in autumn, and remain attached to the branches before falling. The root system of this tree is deep and powerful, with both taproot and spreading roots, ensuring a solid and long-lasting anchorage in deep and sandy soils.

Plant the 'Insecata' sessile oak individually or in rows in a large garden. It offers the advantage of providing pleasant shade, which allows light to filter through in winter. Its fruits, sometimes produced in abundance, feed small animals such as squirrels and jays. It can be associated, for example, with maples, plane trees, hackberries (hardy even in the north), lindens, and sophora in a large park. The root system of oaks, which tends to go deep, allows the planting of companion plants at their base: consider, for example, bear's breeches, Anemone blanda, Omphalodes verna, periwinkles, Naples cyclamen, dead nettles, shade-loving perennial geraniums, Ophiopogon, and Liriope muscari...