New leaves on April 26 on the oak I am following in Thompson’s Park, Cardiff
As I hoped and feared, everything happened all at once in April to the oak tree I am following in Cardiff’s Thompson’s Park. I had planned to visit every week to keep track of progress but in the end I made only two visits, on April 26 and on May 10. And how different it looked on those two occasions.
On my first visit the leaves were gold and burgeoning. There were also many “catkin” flowers, but these had mostly fallen like furry caterpillars to the ground by my second visit.
Here are some of my pictures…
The oak on April 26
I still think of it as the pigeon tree
New orange leaves
Lots of catkins
Dangling catkins in close-up
Not sure if you can see, but the bark was covered in old cobwebs
Twigs sprouting from the trunk…
…showing how tough oak leaves are, here is one that has survived from last autumn
When I looked up the “English” or pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) it left me with a couple of characteristics I felt I needed to go back and check, which is what prompted me to visit in the pouring rain a couple of days ago. Mostly I sheltered under the branches, close to the trunk, seeing what I could spot. And I still got my camera lens wet, which I HATE doing.
Looking up at the oak branches on April 26
A very different view in the rain on May 10
The main oak that can be confused with the pedunculate oak is the sessile oak (Quercus petraea). As far as I can tell there are two comparatively easy diagnostic features. Q robur has very short stalks on its leaves but bears its acorns on long stalks (“peduncles”). Meanwhile Q petraea has long stalks on its leaves and no stalks on its acorns (“sessile” means stalkless).
The individual leaves on “my” oak seem to have no stems
The oak on April 26
The oak on May 10 – much greener and with no branches showing
I particularly went back to see if I could spot any “female” flowers, as I had missed them first time around. The oak is “monoecious” which means male and female flowers are on the same tree. The long dangly catkins are the male flowers that produce the pollen and the female flowers are presumably fertilised by the pollen and eventually turn into acorns.
This is a picture I found online that shows the inconspicuous red female flowers…
Female oak flowers – please click on the image to go to the source
I might have had more luck if it hadn’t been pouring with rain. I’m not sure if I spotted any female flowers or not…
Are these fallen catkins wrapped around red female flowers?
What about these?
Ah, well, I’ve probably missed my chance. I wonder if there will eventually be acorns?
Anyway, it was lovely getting up close and personal with my soaking-wet oak, and at least there was no one else in the park to see me.
Wet oak leaves
See you next month…
The Squirrelbasket 
You sure picked the wrong day for your return visit, though I do love leaves in the rain, and your oak is certainly looking lovely and lush. 🙂
Afraid I had no choice! It was my only window of opportunity, if not a “weather window”.
Best wishes 🙂
I’ve never found a way to remember which way round the stalked leaves/unstalked acorns, and vice versa goes! So annoyingly, I know the difference, but can’t remember how to apply it!
I never knew until now, so I think I have it sussed!
All the best 🙂
I Love all trees but I think the Oak Tree is one of my favourite’s What a pity it was raining. Nevertheless your photo’s do justice. Thanks for sharing.
I don’t have to go far, so it was totally my own fault I decided to go at that moment. Impatience!
I hope you are having some gentle rain at times where you are.
Best wishes 🙂
Really beautiful photos. I love the emergence of oak leaves–catkins, the varying colors and the emergence of the true leaf. Such a lovely process and you captured it well.
Thanks. Your sycamore leaves are pretty splendid, too 🙂
Lovely shiny leaves. The rain just helped the greenery to look so fresh.
Yes, I don’t really like them when they get dark and dull later in the year.
Best wishes 🙂
Again another lovely post thank you for sharing with us
Have a good day 🙂
Good work in the rain!
Thank you 🙂
Amazing what a difference a few days can make at this time of year. Handy to have your guide to the differences between the oak trees too. Glad you ventured out in the rain!
Oaks are new to me, really, so it’s quite fun.
All the best 🙂
I hope you dried off and got warm and cosy when you got home Pat, it is a great difference to the tree in just 2 weeks, I have noticed it seems like ages for the first sign of leaves then they seem to gallop away full steam, very interesting about the details of the different oaks and the meaning of the horticultural latin words, the early golden leaves and still being able to see the structure of the tree is quite beautiful, Frances
Thank you.
I fear I will get tired of the leaves once they settle in for the summer, but we shall see.
All the best 🙂
I didn’t know fresh young oak leaves could be so colorful–such beautiful photo subjects! We’re still waiting for fresh young foliage. We’re in that yukky not-quite-spring time of year typical of May here … mix of rain and snow, people wishing they lived somewhere else.
Sorry about that – we are very lucky here, yet I still complain it’s feeling a bit chilly for the time of year!
Best wishes 🙂
A lovely catch-up with your beautiful tree – it was worth getting a wet lens for!
Thank you. I’m hoping no damage was done…
All the best 🙂