This Common Oak is native to most of Europe, western Asia, and far north Africa. I saw a good number in the wild in forest in southern Germany back in 1981. Every once-in-a-while I come upon a specimen planted at an estate, a public park, or campus in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, or Northeast USA. In the US we usually call it the English Oak. It is a member of the White Oak Group that has rounded, lobed leaves and bears acorns every year. It has crossed with some other North American oaks as the White Oak, The Bur Oak, the Swamp White Oak, and a few others infrequently by itself naturally or by purposeful hybridization at nurseries. There is a large number of cultivars mostly produced in Europe, but a few also in the US. Its leaves are about 2 to 5 inches long by 3/4 to 2.5 inches wide, and the leaves are thicker-more leathery than those of the similar White Oak or other American oaks. The fall color is not good. When a young tree, English Oak grows about 1 1/3 foot/year. It is offered by some large, diverse nurseries. High quality, handsome tree, but a number of similar American oaks work better in America, of course.

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