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Oak (Quercus)

Oak belongs, together with beech and chestnut to the Fagaceae family.

Six different species are native in Belgium ; most important are English oak (Quercus robur syn. Q. pedunculata), which grows in almost every region, and sessile oak (Q. petraea) which is very common in the Ardennes. The red oak often grows in woods and along roads.

The flowering period is May. The male and female flowers appear after the leaves in separate catkins. The male catkins, which produce pollen are yellow, pendulous and about 10-cm long. The female flowers are borne in clusters and appear as spikes, forming acorns the typical fruits of the oak.

Respiratory allergies may be caused by oak pollen; indeed sensitization to oak pollen has been reported in our regions. Moreover crossreactivity exists between the pollen of the Fagaceae and the Betulaceae.