Tree of the Week: February 18th, 2025
ArborNote’s Tree of the Week was chosen by our marketing wiz, Tom Birmingham! Tom is located in Cornwall in the UK so he has picked the Cornish Oak (Quercus petraea) because there is one right outside his window! The Cornish Oak is native to most of Europe and into Anatolia and Iran and is an emblem for the Cornwall area. It is one of the most important species in Europe both economically and ecologically because the oak’s timber is traditionally used for building, ships and furniture. It is also a host plant for the larvae of the Imperial moth (Eacles imperialis), as well as numerous butterflies, including Banded hairstreak (Satyrium calanus), Edward’s hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii), and Gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus). The Pontfadog Oak, once considered to be the oldest oak tree in the UK, was a Cornish oak. This grew near Chirk in North Wales. It was understood to be over 1,200 years old, an age that was due to regular pollarding for much of its life. The hollow trunk had a girth of 42 ft 5 in. However, it was lost in April 2013 when it blew down in high winds. Although these trees are common in Europe, they are not often found in the United States.
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