Quercus variabilis

The Chinese Cork Oak is an elegant species, with chestnut-like foliage and rather corky thick pale grey bark, though not to the same extent as Q. suber. Leaves are green above and pale-grey beneath and persist into late autumn, when they turn yellow. Rarely planted here, this makes a medium sized tree only and is fully hardy and easy to please. The UK Champion specimen grows not far from here at Tortworth Court.