We specialize in growing mature oak trees. Each oak is uniquely styled over 15 and more years, while focusing on natural growth

 

We grow our oaks with passion and love 

The oak is the ultimate tree – large, majestic, strong, hard, noble, holy, healthy, long-lived, permanent, stable, useful, frugal, social, nourishing, flavorful, healing, cheerful, and beneficial. It is easy to see why it has been considered sacred and revered by numerous societies throughout history. In England, it is known as the King of the Forest. In this region of the world, the oak is king of the thicket, as Israel has no true forests. From the local common oak (Q. Calliprinos) groves of the Galilee and the Judean Mountains, the Sharon region, and the Lower Galilee; to the sparse forests of the Tavor Oak (Q. ithaburensis) in the Golan Heights; and through to the Cyprus Oak (Q. boissieri) groves adorning the higher elevations in the Galilee and Golan Heights.

In our nursery, we sow, plant, and grow oaks out of a belief that oaks are the most natural and proper element in the Israeli landscapes and gardens.

Our oak nursery spans 6000 square meters of red loam soil, on the western side of our estate in our moshav. We planted our first trees in 1992, more than 20 years ago, a short time after our fourth son, Alon (Hebrew for ‘oak’), was born. Our private collection counts over 35 oak species.

Today, our nursery houses about 1,500 trees, from seedlings and through to mature specimens, ready for sale and transplantation, with a trunk diameter of 7”-8” and more. Our oaks reach these dimensions and this shape over a period of 15 years.

This website is dedicated to all aspects of oak culture, and much work has gone into it. The website is under constant development. Among other things, it provides information on choosing a suitable oak for your garden; our inventory of ready-for-planting trees, complete with detailed growing conditions; a detailed index of endemic and imported oaks; a (partial) index of oaks from Asia, Europe, and North America; ecology; oak care; botanical information; additional resources for learning about oaks and trees from around the world and in a variety of languages; picture galleries; gardens; and more, as far as I am able to write and build this information into the website.

The nursery is located in moshav Herev La'et in Israel. General information, information on oak care, and tips for growing oaks in Israel. Our environment has a few unique characteristics, such as a short rainy season from October to April (about 90 days of rain); hard water; chalky soils; chalky sedimentary rocks; hot summers (without a drop of rain), and high humidity in the coastal region along the Mediterranean.

In addition to this home page, our non-Hebrew speaking visitors are invited to use the built-in translation engine in their browser to read through our website.

Comments, suggestions, or any oak-related information from anywhere in the world are more than welcome and appreciated.

Sincerely,

Ezra Barnea

For the non Hebrew reader