Heritage Trees

Chestnut-leaved Oak, Quercus castaneifolia

1846

The chestnut-leaved oak can be found behind the Waterlily House

The chestnut-leaved oak was introduced to Britain from the Caucasus and Iran as seed in 1843. The specimen on the lawn behind the Waterlily House was the first introduction, planted in 1846 during the random planting of the new 45 acres. Today, at over 30 metres tall and 30 metres spread, it the biggest, finest and unrivalled specimen of its type in the world. It is the largest and fastest growing tree in the arboretum and continues to grow at an alarming rate; it is also a TROBI (Tree Register of the British Isles) champion. This species is not widely planted in this country and is therefore particularly valuable.

In 1987, the year of the great hurricane when many trees surrounding it on this lawn were blown over, the chestnut-leaved oak withstood the forces of nature without the loss of a single limb and now stands dominating the location.

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Search Kew's electronic Plant Information Centre for scientific information about Quercus castaneifolia

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