Arthur
Quercus rubra (likely)
Slender young oak, about a metre tall, with a long low side branch. Red leaf stalks, a tapered leaf base and pointed lobes point to red oak, not English oak as first thought. Autumn colour should confirm.
- Common name
- Red oak (likely)
- Section
- Trees & shrubs
- Spot
- Garden (tree and shrub group)
- Soil
- Potting mix with perlite
- Options
Bonsai · Plant out
Bonsai
Bonsai: potential for a characterful tree with a substantial trunk; leaf size can be a challenge.
Plant out
Alternatively, a garden tree where there is plenty of room.
- From
- Free from a local online marketplace, Sep 2026
- Age
- About 4 years
- Next repot
- Around Mar 2027
- Edible
- 🤔 Sort of: Acorns need a lot of leaching first. The squirrels disagree.
- Hardy
- ✅ Fully
- Garden-centre price
- about £15
Did you know?
Roasted acorns have been used as a coffee substitute in hard times, including during the world wars.
Care & updates
- Next root check
- Mar 2027
- What to expect
- Fast growth once settled, often 30 cm or more a year in a good pot. Leaves drop in autumn and burst back in spring.
- Feeding
- Every 28 days, Apr–Aug, with Balanced liquid feed, half strength
- Identification
Leaf close-ups point to red oak (Quercus rubra), not English oak: clear red leaf stalks, no lobes at the leaf base, pointed leaf lobes. Some powdery mildew on the leaves; cosmetic this late in the year.
- Observation
Healthy young whip with plenty of lobed leaves. Previous owner's 'repot' looks like it was just set into the pot and topped with compost; soil dug back from the base of the trunk for now. Check the roots properly soon.
- Repotted
Inspected the roots: clearly pot-bound from its previous container, with roots circling the bottom. Teased the circling roots out and repotted into the same pot with fresh potting mix.
🎮
A red squirrel who flings nuts at everything. Acorns and walnuts approve.
Look it up →