Chestnut-leaved Oak - Quercus castaneifolia

Taxonomy

Kingdom - Plantae

Subkingdom - Tracheobionta

Superdivision - Spermatophyta

Division - Magnoliophyta

Class - Magnoliopsida

Subclass - Hamamelididae

Order - Fagales

Family - Fagaceae

Genus - Quercus

Species - castaneifolia

The chestnut-leaved oak is one of the Heritage trees of Kew Gardens, and is a very rare plant in the UK having first been introduced from the Caucasus and Iran as seed in 1843. The Kew plant is behind the water-lily house by the famous Palm House, and was planted in 1846, probably from one of the first batch of seeds to arrive in the UK. At that time there was a new 45 acre area that needed planting, which was done in a very arbitrary manner, hence it’s location. Due to it’s age, 30 metre height and spread, the Kew chestnut-leaved oak is the finest, biggest and unrivalled specimen in the world. It is also the largest and fastest growing tree at Kew, and is accordingly a true TROBI
(Tree Register Of the British Isles) champion. One interesting fact about this tree is that where other trees, such as the Turner oak, where affected or even destroyed in the great storm of 1987, this tree escaped unscathed, not even losing a branch. Incredible.

The chestnut-leaved oak can reach heights of 35 metres, with a girth of 2.5 metres. However it is the leaves that are distinctive, being up to 20 cm long, and serrated, with triangular lobes on each side very similar to chestnut trees. These turn from green through a deep bronze to brown before falling. The acorns are slow growing, taking around 18 months to mature, and are very large, typically 2.5 cm long and 1.5 cm broad.