English Oak Sapling Trees

• Common name: English Oak, Common Oak, Pedunculate Oak
• Latin name: Quercus robur
• Native: Yes
• Sold as: Bareroot saplings in four sizes, from 30cm to 175cm tall
• Mature size: More than 12m tall, in time 20 to 40m, and wider than 8m. 20 to 50 years to full height
• Use: Specimen tree, woodland and parkland planting. Not for a clipped hedge
• Leaves and fruit: Deciduous. Lobed leaves turn reddish-brown in autumn. Acorns on stalks
• Best soil and site: Most deep, fertile soils, moist but well drained. Sun or partial shade, exposed or sheltered
• Hardiness: H6, hardy through the British winter
• Delivered: Bareroot only, November to April. Collection from Castle Cary also available

English Oak is the native Oak of lowland Britain, a large deciduous tree that reaches 20 to 40 metres over many decades. These are young bareroot saplings, the cheapest and most reliable way to plant Oak in numbers, delivered from November to April.

English Oak Sapling Trees

Quercus robur is a large, slow growing native tree with a stout trunk and a round, fairly low canopy when it's grown in the open. Native Oaks are probably the single best tree for supporting wildlife. Their leaves are eaten by more types of caterpillar than any other British tree, and the deeply ridged bark of the old trees is an excellent home for many other insects. The acorns are a rich source of energy for larger animals that are trying to fatten up during autumn.

Oak leaves are distinctive, with irregular, wavy lobes. They turn brown and muddy yellow in autumn, which makes a good backdrop for other trees with more vivid autumn colour. The short strings of flowers are inconspicuous, appearing at the same time as the new leaf shoots. The flowers develop into green acorns that take over a year to mature and turn brown, usually leaving behind the little "cup" that attached them to the tree when they fall.
English Oak isn't suitable for a clipped hedge. The plants on this page are young saplings. You can also buy larger English Oak trees along with our other varieties of Oak here.

This Oak's native range is on moist clay soils; it doesn't tolerate strongly acidic or alkaline sites with shallow chalk.

English Oak plants are only delivered bareroot, during winter (Nov-Apr.).

Choosing a size: When you are ordering a large quantity of English Oak for a big planting project, we suggest that you buy smaller plants. They're cheaper than large trees, easier to handle and more likely to cope well with poor conditions. All our young trees and shrubs are measured by their height in centimetres above the ground (the roots aren't measured).

History & Trivia

Their familiar looking leaves are used as the National Trust's logo. A durable hardwood tree, Oak was one of the most important timber trees before tropical hardwoods became widely available in Europe. The quality of oak's timber is determined very much by the soil it grows on. Oak trees that grow on poor, acidic soil with high sand or gravel content tend to have the worst timber, developing internal cracks known as shakes. It's thought that the oldest Oak trees in Britain (some are about 1,000 years old) are found on poor soil because they weren't worth cutting down for their wood. Quercus was the Roman word for Oak and robur means hard and strong, as in robust.

Botanical names: Quercus robur, Quercus pedunculata
Common Names: British Oak, English Oak, Common Oak, Pedunculate Oak

Planting Companions

For one tree with a head start, the same species comes as a larger English Oak standard. Sessile Oak is the other native Oak, the tree of the uplands and the west. For mixed planting, see the rest of our native trees and trees for wildlife. Dust the roots with Rootgrow as you plant.

Why Ashridge?

Ashridge has sold trees since 1949 and is a Which? Best Plant Supplier 2025. Your Oak saplings are grown in the field, lifted to order while dormant and sent bareroot, measured by their height above the ground. Bareroot plants are guaranteed for 12 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

How fast does an English Oak sapling grow?

Slowly. English Oak takes 20 to 50 years to reach its full height, which in the end is 20 to 40 metres. Plant it where it can stay.

Which size of Oak sapling should you buy?

For planting in numbers, buy small. Smaller plants cost less, are easier to handle and cope better with poor conditions. For a single tree with more presence, choose the tallest.

Can you grow English Oak as a hedge?

Not as a clipped hedge. It belongs in a hedgerow as a tree left to grow up, in a woodland mix, or on its own where it has room.

What soil does English Oak need?

It grows well in most deep, fertile soils that are moist but well drained, and it tolerates lime. Its home ground is moist lowland clay.

Is English Oak good for wildlife?

It is the best there is. Native Oaks support more kinds of caterpillar than any other British tree, the ridged bark shelters insects and the acorns feed animals in autumn.

When are Oak saplings delivered?

Bareroot only, from November to April, while the plants are dormant. You can order at any time of year and we deliver when the season opens.