31/08/2025
🌳 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐎𝐚𝐤𝐬, 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐬
Today, during a walk in the forest, I stopped to look at two trees.
The first – the Northern Red Oak, introduced from North America – is a foreigner in Polish woodlands. Its leaves are thick, glossy, jeweled with raindrops. A beautiful sight.
The second – our native Pedunculate Oak (English Oak) – looked much weaker. Though this summer has not been particularly dry, by late August its leaves already show signs of fatigue.
It struck me as a powerful metaphor for our times:
a non-native species, introduced in the 19th century for ornamental purposes and fast growth, proves more resilient to drought and climate change,
while a native species, entwined for millennia with the lives of countless insects, fungi and birds, is visibly losing strength.
The red oak thrives here, almost like a climate refugee that has found safety far from its homeland. But its success comes at a cost: it is an invasive species. It casts a dense shade that blocks out light, driving out many native plants. Its leaves, rich in tannins, decompose slowly, altering soil chemistry and making it harder for other species to grow.
Our native Pedunculate Oak, though less resistant, is irreplaceable. It supports entire webs of life and gives meaning to the landscapes we call home.
Whenever I face something difficult, I remind myself of the old principle: primum non nocere – first, do no harm.
It is a question worth asking of the spaces we inhabit as well: how do we choose in ways that do not harm nature?
And if you wish to plant oaks on your land in Poland – let them be English Oaks - dąb szypułkowy.
