Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Quercus cerris x suber = Q. x crenata

Family

Fagaceae

Flowering season

May to June

English distribution

It is thinly scattered throughout the country, but is more

common in southern areas.

See the BSBI distribution map for Lucombe Oak

Habitat

It is a neophyte and was a hybrid produced from Turkey

Oak, Quercus cerris, and Cork Oak, Q. Suber, by

W. Lucombe in Exeter in the 1760s.

The acorns are viable, but it was not noted in the wild

until the mid 1960s.

It is planted in amenity areas, parks, woodland, field

boundaries and village greens. 

There are some famous Lucombe Oaks, such as the

one in Kew Gardens.

Description

Lucombe Oak is a partially-evergreen tree, growing

to over 20m.

Male flowers are in catkins and appear at the same

time as the new leaves.

They are susceptible to insect galls.

Female flowers appear at the same time and are

bright red and up to 1cm. They are bigger than those

in other oaks.

New leaves appear in May and are pale green.

They darken within a few weeks.

They are glossy, regularly and sharply lobed, and

up to 8cm.

There is some leaf fall in winter, but unless the

weather is severe, they last until spring.

The bark of the trunk is deeply fissured.

Other oaks on the website are Pedunculate Oak,

Sessile Oak, Turkey Oak and Evergreen Oak.