What is the average age of an oak tree

Photo: David Alderman. Veteran oak. Notable oak. Distribution Throughout the UK, other than in the high uplands and on chalk and limestone soils. Typical location Hedgerows, parkland, designed landscapes, fields, woodland and wood pasture. Age Oak may live for 1, years, although may be more typical on many sites.

Typically a veteran oak is years of age and a notable oak is years old. Girth size Up to 10m plus in girth. Record all oak more than 4. For example, if your oak's trunk measures inches around, its diameter would be divided by 3. Determine the growth factor for your oak. If it is a Shumard or pin oak, the growth factor is three; red oak, four; white oak, five; and shingle oak, six. If you have a different variety of oak or were unable to identify the oak, obtain a rough age estimate by using four.

Multiply the oak's diameter in inches times the growth factor to get the approximate age of your oak. For example, a Shumard oak with a trunk diameter of 20 inches is about 60 years old.

Print Tweet Share on Facebook. Comments 0. Add a public comment to this FAQ Entry. Contact Us with your Question by Email. Your Question Question. Leave this field blank. Submit Your Question. More details on that below. But just so you know, oak tree ages are estimated, because unless you were there when it first sprouted from an acorn, the most reliable method for determining its age is counting its rings.

Oak trees produce a ring for every year it lives. It is possible to take a core from a live tree with a borer to determine its age, but to do so can introduce damage or disease to the tree if the procedure is not done correctly. So another method should be used to determine how old it is. These four steps will guide you on how to calculate a rough estimate of the age of your tree without injuring it in any way. Species Tree Growth Factor. You can reasonably guess that the age of your oak will fall within that range.

In fact, many people advise the best estimate is to multiply by 4 — right in the middle of those numbers. If you want to know exactly what kind of tree you have, you will need to look closely at the leaf types for the best opportunity to identify which oak you have.

You might also check this list of common oak types , which includes the following. One Note About Calculating Age.