#140 CHESTNUT LEAVED OAK
Quercus castaneifolia
This can be found opposite the entrance steps, on the south side of the Malus Avenue.
County Champion
| Distribution: | Native to Caucasus and Alborz mountains of northern Iran in humid forests. |
| Planting Date: | Transplanted here in February 1933. |
| Bought from: | Hillier Nurseries, Romsey March 1928. |
| Appearance: | Resembles the closely related Turkey Oak, Q. cerris. |
| Growth Habit: | A deciduous tree growing up to 35 m, with a girth of up to 250 cm. |
| Bark: | Known for its beautiful silvery-white bark. |
| Leaf: | Foliage unfurls pink and becomes silvery before finally becoming dark green. Leaves are 10 cm to 20 cm long and 3 cm to 5 cm wide, with 10 to 15 small, regular triangular lobes on each side. |
| Flowers: | The flowers are are wind-pollinated catkins. |
| Fruit: | Acorns mature about 18 months after pollination, 2 cm to 3 cm long and 1.5 cm to 2 cm broad. Bicolour with an orange basal half grading to a green-brown tip. The cup is 2 cm deep and densely covered in soft 4 mm to 8 mm ‘mossy’ bristles. The acorns are very bitter, but are eaten by pigeons and squirrels who usually only eat them when other food sources have been exhausted. |
| Tree height and girth in 2023: | Height 23 m and girth 215 cm |
| Uses: | Widely cultivated tree in the Talyshistan Region of Azerbaijan, where it is used for windbreaks and as a street tree. Very tolerant of heat, drought, and neglect. |
| Plant Hunter: | 1843 seed collected by Dr D Pigott of Cambridge University Botanic Garden. Planted at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in 1846 by Sir William Hooker. |
| Anecdotes and Comments: | Relatively rare in collections despite being a vigorous grower. Rated County Champion in 2023 by The Tree Resister: height and girth. A specimen found in the Hyrcanian forests of northern Iran in 2021 by Alireza Naqinezhad is the tallest oak in the world. It has a height of 60.4 m, and a girth of 490 cm. |