Bur Oak

A titan of the woodland landscape, Quercus macrocarpa, AKA the Bur Oak or Mossycup Oak, brings a sense of permanent rugged strength and ancient character to its surroundings. It's large, leathery leaves are distinctly fiddle-shaped, displaying deep central lobes that divide the leaf in half, creating a rich green summer canopy with a pale, silver-fuzzed underside that shimmers in the wind. In Autumn, the foliage mellows into understated shades of copper-brown and dull yellow, but the tree’s most fascinating feature is revealed as the leaves fall. True to its botanical name, it produces the largest acorns of any native North American oak, which are instantly recognizable by their remarkable, mossy-fringed caps that encase up to half the nut. As the canopy bares for Winter, it reveals thick, corky ridges along the younger twigs and a large trunk covered in deeply furrowed, dark grey bark that provides a wonderful gnarled silhouette against the winter sky. This extraordinarily resilient tree adapts with total ease to Irish growing conditions, anchoring itself with a deep taproot system that renders it virtually immune to harsh Atlantic gales. It thrives with minimal fuss across a variety of terrains, asking only for an unconfined position where its broad-spreading crown can be fully appreciated over the centuries.

Site: Tolerates some exposure
Soil: Remarkably versatile; handles everything from poor, dry gravelly slopes to heavy clay, with excellent tolerance for acid, alkaline or limestone ground.
Position: Full sun
Season of Interest: Dramatic green foliage through Summer; warm coppery tones in Autumn; architectural winter silhouette with persistent leaves.
Hardiness: Fully hardy
Height: 50ft - 72ft (15-22m) Spread: 50ft - 65ft (15m - 20m)

Image 1 by Loadmaster cropped, and licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Image 2 & 3 by Matt Lavin cropped, and licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0