Sessile Oak, Quercus petraea

Trees add structure and drama to a garden, and native trees bring much needed colour which changes with the seasons.

Native trees will benefit local ecosystems, providing food and shelter for many species of birds, mammals and insects.They're low maintenance, thriving naturally in favourable conditions and being native can cope with our rainfall.

Environmentally, native trees help combat global warming by using carbon dioxide and also help protect from flooding by preventing soil erosion, reducing surface run off and slowing large floods - two of the most important environmental considerations at present!

One of the UK's most recognisable trees, this large deciduous woodland favourite will form a broad, rounded crown, with dark green, lobed leaves that turn orange brown in autumn.

The inconspicuous yellowish flowers of the oak are hidden in catkins which emerge with the young leaves and from them form the famous acorns which we are all familiar with.

According to the Woodland Trust, oak trees support more wildlife than any other native trees. They provide a habitat for more than 257 species of insect, which are the food source for birds and other predators so are another invaluable tree for encouraging wildlife into the garden.

This young tree has been grown in the UK from UK-sourced seed and is supplied as a plug-grown sapling 15-30cm from end to end, ready for immediate planting.