Oaks are graded according to age and it's interesting to note that the old oaks here along the river - all over 200 years old, are only just entering their 'Mature' phase. The oldest oaks in Sussex are classified as 'Ancient oaks'. Some of these can be found in places with a long history of 'landscaping' such as Petworth and Parham where they have been respected and escaped being used for ship-building.
Here there is a good range of oaks of all ages up to 'just' mature which people regard as very old!
Young and old Oaks January 2019
The young oak in the foreground has grown very well since it was planted a few years ago - but it had to be tended for the first years, protected from mowers used for grass cutting and watered during dry summers. Young oaks - and this one is extremely young - keep their leaves over the winter, perhaps as protection, adding a rich coppery colour to the riverside landscape.
Behind it is a beautiful 'just maturing' oak which is huge and home to hundreds of different wildlife species, only a few of them easily visible.
more to come…...
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