Grid reference | ST 18548 79028 |
Common name | Swamp white oak |
Origin | East N. America |
Deciduous | Yes |
Status | Rare |
Status | GB Champion 2013 |
Tree trail | Post 1 |
Height | 24M February 2015 |
Girth | 216cm January 2015 |
Reference | 072 |
This tree can be found beside the west bank of the brook, just north of the Conservatory. It is thought to be part of the original planting of the Botanic Garden, listed as Quercus macrocarpa in W.W.Pettigrew's article for the Cardiff Naturalists' Society (1894-5, volume XXVII part I, pages 52-62).
General tree description
Quercus bicolor has a broad, rounded crown and typically grows to around 20 to 25 metres, though sometimes larger. Its leaves are broad ovoid, 12–18cm long, and are shallowly lobed with five to seven lobes on each side. In colour they are a dark, shiny green above and silvery white underneath. In autumn they turn brown or yellow, or sometimes reddish purple. Fruits are acorns which mature in early autumn.