Plantcompass

General Information

Family: Beech Family (Fagaceae)
Flowering period in Central Europe: Early to Full Spring
Months: 4–6

Allergy potential
Low allergenicity. Main allergen Que a1. Pure oak pollen allergy is rare.

Cross-reactions
Allergen similarity due to familial relatedness can trigger cross-reactions in individuals sensitized to birch and beech pollen.

Botanical Information

Distribution
Widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere in temperate and subtropical climates, plains to lower mountainous regions.

Morphology
Habit — Tree or shrub. Foliage — Summer-green, some species evergreen, leaves thin to leathery, leaf margin serrated to lobed. Reproduction — Monoecious, ♂ catkins hanging, ♀ catkins develop into characteristic acorns.

Common species in Europe

English oak (Quercus robur).
Habit — Tree. Habitats — Summer-green and mixed deciduous forests, plains to medium altitudes. Important forestry tree. Flowering period in Central Europe — April to May.

Turkey oak (Quercus cerris).
Habit — Tree. Habitats — Warm-loving, summer-green forests in eastern Austria, plains to medium altitudes, main distribution in Southeast Europe. Flowering period in Central Europe — May.