Fastigiate English
​Quercus robur 'Fastigiata' 

English oaks are in the white oak group.  Native to Europe and southwest Asia, their range extends from the British Isles to the Caucasus; they are typically found growing in mixed woodlands. English oaks have been planted in the United States since the 1600’s. They prefer full sun and moist, well-drained soils but adapt well to a variety of soil conditions and can tolerate both drought and air pollution. The genus name, ‘robur’ refers to their general robustness. The fastigiate (columnar) form was first observed in a German forest in the late eighteenth century. There is a pair of well-established fastigiate English oaks growing along the edge of Joan Lorentz Park, near the corner of Broadway and Ellery Street.
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Physical characteristics:
Form:  Narrow, upright, columnar silhouette with a symmetrical canopy, dense branches that angle upward. Grows 50 to 60 feet high, 10 to 18 feet wide.
Leaves: Alternating, 3 to 5 inches long on short stalks, 3 to 7 blunt lobes per side. Leaves are dark green on the upper surface, blue-green underneath. Trees hold onto their leaves through the growing season. Fall color is a muted bronze.
Flowers: Yellow-green catkins.
Fruit: Acorns are oval in shape, up to 1” long on a long stalk. Acorn caps extend approximately 1/3 of the way up the acorn.
Bark: Dark brown with deep furrows and ridges.

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