This is how old oaks grow on average
- Pedunculate oak - 800 years
- Sessile oak - 700 years
- Trunk circumference up to over 9 meters
- Height up to 40 meters
Age depends on type and location
The age of an oak depends on both the location and the type of oak. A healthy pedunculate oak is 800 years old, with the oldest oak in the world being said to be around 1,500 years old. This old age is quite believable, as some of the oaks still living today were already mentioned in ancient documents.
also read
- How big do oak trees get?
- This is how an oak grows
- Diseases that threaten our oak trees
Sessile oak, the second most common oak species in Germany, does not get quite as old at around 700 years.
Oak trees are slow-growing trees that do not start to bloom until they are 60 years old. Only then do the first acorns develop.
Determine the age of an oak
The approximate age of an oak tree can be determined with a trick. For this, the tree's circumference is measured at a height of 1.50 meters. Multiply the circumference in centimeters by 0.8. The result shows the presumed age of the oak.
The location also plays a role in the determination. In less favorable locations, the trunks remain thinner than in good locations.
The age can only be determined exactly using the radiocarbon method.
Tips & Tricks
So-called thousand-year-old oaks can still be found in many places in Germany. They impress with their size and trunk circumference. These trees often survive even if they were struck by lightning or parts of the crown were felled by a storm.
