This deciduous tree is one of the most characteristic trees of Vale do Lourêdo. It can reach a height of 45 meters with a tall, wide and irregularly shaped crown. The bark on the tree’s trunk is smooth when the oak is young, and as the tree grows, more cracks appear, and the brown color darkens. The leaves are light green and have the pinnately lobed form, turning orange-brown in autumn. One of the most distinctive features of the oak is its light brown, domed, thick-skinned fruit, the acorn. Another spherical structure that can often be seen in oaks, often mistaken as a fruit, is the “gall”. The galls are abnormal plant growths that form on the plant in response to external aggressions, such as insect bites or attack by moulds, bacteria, or nematodes. In oaks, the occurrence of galls is frequently caused by the bite of Hymenoptera insects, that is, from the group of wasps, bees, and ants.

This oak species is a dominant tree, occurring abundantly in various types of deciduous tree forests. It is generally found in temperate climate zones with moist soils, being an indicator of soil moisture. Although it prefers areas with high annual rainfall, it can be resistant to some periods of drought. In Portugal it occurs mainly in the Northwest.

The English oak is a species with high ecological importance, being a central piece in the habitat of numerous species of fauna. It serves as a shelter for several species of invertebrates, which live in the leaves, trunk, and acorns, and, in the case of older trees, for several species of vertebrates that take shelter in the holes in the trunks. It is a source of food for countless species, and there are invertebrates that feed on its leaves. Its acorns are a very important food resource for many vertebrates, such as small mammals and some birds. It is a tree very resistant to fire, due to its thick bark, which makes it highly important in controlling forest fires.

Other common names: Common oak, pedunculate oak or European oak