Oak is a hardwood, acorn-bearing tree or shrub of the beech family, valued for the hardness, strength and durability of its timber. Oak is the most popular wood for constructing barrels. Oak imparts flavors and tannin to wines during the barrel aging process. It is also the national tree of many countries like the US and Germany.

Here are some of the most popular/historic oaks.

Ivenack Oak – Germany

A huge oak thought to be 800 year-old and the largest oak in Germany and probably of Europe has a height of 35.5 meters and with a crown spread of 29 meters. It has a circumference of 11.25 meters. It is named the Ivenack Oak, an ancient pedunculate oak in Pomerania, Germany.

The Bowthorpe Oak

Britain’s oldest oak tree is the Bowthorpe Oak in Bourne, Great Britain with an estimated age of over 1,000 years old. The tree is located on Bowthorpe Park Farm and visitors are welcome throughout the year. The Bowthorpe Oak is also featured in the Guinness Book of Records and was filmed for a short TV documentary about its size and astounding longevity.

Chapel Oak of Allouville-Bellefosse – France

This beautiful oak tree is called the Chapel Oak. It is the most popular tree in France. This tree is more than 900 years old. Since 1696, the hollow base of the tree has been used as a little shrine to the Holy Mary.

Bartek Oak – Poland

One of the most famous trees of Poland is the Bartek Oak. It is 625 year-old and has a height of 30-meter tall and measures 13.5 meters in girth at its base. Its crown spreads about 40 meters. Under the Bartek oak tree, King Casimir III is known to have been pictured as holding his court. It is also told that Jan III Sobieski rested under this tree on his way back from the Battle of Vienna, and hid a Turkish saber, an arquebus and a bottle of wine inside it. The old oak is in decline.

Rumskalla Oak – Sweden

A huge oak with an estimated age of 850 to 1,000 year named Rumskalla is one of the few remaining oldest of Sweden. The huge Rumskalla Oak in Sweden is located near the village of Vimmerby, hometown of Astrid Lindgren, author of Pippi Langstroem. The gnarled oak has a large hollow trunk of 14.4 meters in circumference regarded as the biggest in Europe.

Oak of Guillotine – Bretagne, France

With a height of 20 meters and a girth of 9.65 meters, the Oak of Guillotine is one of the legendary trees of France. It stands in the Forest of Broceliande, Bretagnes, near the village of Concoret.

Stelmuze Oak – Lithuania

This oak tree is believed to be at least 1,500 years old. This makes it the oldest oak in Lithuania and one of the oldest in Europe. The oak is a nature heritage object in Lithuania and is the best known tree in the country. Stelmuze is an English (Pedunculate) oak tree is located in Manor Park. It measures as much as 3.5 m in diameter and 13 m girth in its widest part; respectively 2.8 m. and 9.58 m at the waist level. The oak reaches 23 m of height with only side branches remaining alive.

The King Oak – Denmark

An oak with an estimated age of 1,500 – 2,000 year-old called Kongeegen (the King Oak) is an oak tree in Denmark. It grows in on the island of Sjaelland. It may well be oldest living organism in northern Europe. It probably originally grew in an open meadow, to account for its short trunk and low branching, with other taller forest trees growing up around it subsequently. The taller trees around it are now shading it and slowly killing it.

Major Oak of Sherwood Forest England, UK

This giant tree, with a waistline of 35 ft, a height of 52 feet and weighing an estimated 23 tons, has been here for about 800-1000 years. Legend has it that once upon a time Robin Hood hid from his enemies inside the hollow of the Major Oak.

Treaty Oak, Austin, Texas, US

The Treaty oak is estimated to be 500 year-old. This is the last surviving member of the Council Oaks, a grove of 14 trees that served as a sacred meeting place for Comanche and Tonkawa Tribes. The tree’s branches had a spread of 127 feet located in Treaty Oak Park. According to legend, this live oak stood as a witness to a treaty between Indians and the Anglo settlers. The man representing the settlers was reputed to be none other than the “Father of Texas” Stephen F. Austin himself. There has been no hard evidence that any such treaty took place – but it makes a good story – and it may have helped save the tree.

Emancipation Oak – Virginia, U.S.A

Emancipation Oak is a historic tree located on the campus of Hampton University in what is now the City of Hampton, Virginia The large sprawling oak is 98 feet (30 m) in diameter, with branches which extend upward as well as laterally, as if offering refuge. It is designated as one of the 10 Great Trees of the World by the National Geographic Society and is part of the National Historic Landmark District of Hampton University. The tree is a Live Oak (Quercus virgiana).

The Big Tree – Texas, USA

One of the most famous live oaks in the world is the “Big Tree” with an estimated age of over 1,000 years. It is thought to be one of the largest in the United States and has been the subject of one of Ripley’s “Believe It or Not” cartoons. This tree is situated in Lamar Peninsula of Aransas County in the Goose Island State Park. It possesses a circumference of over 35 feet, more than 45 feet tall and has a crown spread of 90 feet.

The Angel Oak – South Carolina, USA

Another popular oak in the US is the Angel Oak. The Angel Oak is a Southern live oak tree located in Angel Oak Park, in Charleston, on Johns Island, one of South Carolina’s Sea Islands. It is estimated to be over 1500 years old, standing 20 m (65 ft) tall, 2.47 m (9 ft) in diameter, and the crown covers an area of 1,580 m² (17,000 square feet). Its longest limb is 27 m (89 ft) in length. The tree and surrounding park have been owned by the city of Charleston since 1991.

The Linden Oak – Maryland, USA

275-year-old Linden Oak in North Bethesda, Maryland is the largest white oak tree in the United States with a height of 95 feet and a crown spread of 132 feet. It is located beside the junction of Rockville Pike and Rock Creeks Park’s Beach Drive.

The Seven Sisters – Louisiana, USA

The largest certified southern live oak is The Seven Sisters Oak which is located in Lewisburg, Louisiana, is estimated to be up to 1,500 years old. It has a trunk that measures 38 feet (11.6 meters). This oak is also the National Champion on the National Register of Big Trees and the Champion Oak of Louisiana according to the Louisiana Forestry Association. The owner who first named the tree was Carole Hendry Doby, who was one of seven sisters. There are seven sets of branches leading away from the center trunk. The “Seven Sisters Oak” is formerly known as “Doby’s Seven Sisters.”

The Washington Oak – New Jersey, USA

An oak called the Washington Oak with an estimated age of 275 years old, stands on Millet’s Hill where the pivotal Battle of Princeton was ignited in 1777. The Washington Oak is a protected ancient white oak tree in Princeton Township, New Jersey, USA that overlooks the Princeton Battlefield State Park. The Washington Oak is recognized as having lived at the time of the signing of the United States Constitution in 1787.

These are just a few of the most famous oaks there are still other famous oak trees around the world.

For more amazing and interesting trees see

11 More Spectacular Trees From Around the World

Spectacular Trees From Around the World

The Oldest and Stoutest Trees in the World

Historic Trees From Around the World

World’s Tallest and Largest Trees