Belfast Botanic Gardens Tree Archive

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This is one of a series of short articles about trees in the Belfast Botanic Gardens compiled by the Friends group. The tree tag number relates to the black tree maintenance tags, usually fixed on the tree trunk, 2 to 3m above ground level.
Family: Fagaceae
Quercus x crenata Lam. 'Fulhamensis'
(incorrectly Q. x hispanica 'Dentata')
Fulham oak

Black tag 15
54o 34.990N
5o 56.112W

This is one of the largest evergreen oaks in Belfast Botanic Gardens, and it has an attractive spreading shape. It is located close to the main path leading into the gardens from the Malone/Stranmillis gate. The Q. x crenata oaks are hybrids between the cork oak (Quercus suber) and the Turkey oak Quercus cerris. They occur naturally in Spain where the distributions of the two parent species overlap. There are a number of x crenata varieties in the horticultural trade including the Lucombe oak (Q. x crenata 'Lucombeana' ) and this one (from Osborne's nursery in Fulham). It is semi-evergreen, losing some of its leaves in winter. The leaves are a dark very glossy green and the small acorns are rather like those of the Turkey oak.

Quercus x crenata in Belfast Botanic gardens

glossy leaves of Quercus x crenata
Fulham oak in Belfast Botanic Gardens Glossy, semi-evergreen, leaves of Fulham oak
variable leaf shape in Quercus x crenata male flowers of Quercus x crenata
Variable leaf shape of Fulham oak Male flowers of Fulham oak

acorn of Quercus x crenara

bark of Quercus x crenata
Acorn of Fulham oak Bark of Fulham oak

Photos taken in Belfast Botanic Gardens in 2009. Nomenclature updated 2023 to bring it into line with 'Plants of the World Online'. Copyright: Friends of Belfast Botanic Gardens.

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