Major Oak

Uncommon card · No. 141219

The Major Oak is a large dead English oak (Quercus robur) near Edwinstowe, in the midst of Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, England. Thought to be between 800 and 1,200 years old, the tree was estimated to weigh 23 long tons and had a canopy of 92 feet (28 m) at its peak. According to local folklore, it was the shelter of Robin Hood and his Merry Men. In June 2026, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), which manages the forest, announced that the tree had died after failing to produce leaves that year. This was attributed to prolonged stress from a series of hot, dry summers, soil compaction, changes to the water table due to nearby coal mining, and counter-productive measures taken to preserve it.

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