Cork?

The first item on this excursion being a patch of violets, at the base of a tree at the eastern corner of Clay Hill Green, the one with chalk underneath, as noticed at reference 1.

Then a bit further into the green, we had this small tree which had lost most of its leaves. Presumably evergreen in a warmer climate. Leathery, narrow, pointed oval leaves. Probably toothed but I did not think to check on that.

Initially, Google Images was going for a more ordinary oak, but when prompted about the leaves he shifted his ground, going now for the cork oak, Quercus suber, of reference 2.

On this corky image, he sticks to this identification. Not a tree I come across very often, but I remember a rather larger one at Painshill Park. Noticed but no snap at reference 3.

Need to inspect the leaves more carefully to confirm the sighting. And if it is a small cork oak, how did it get there? The work of the tree man from the council? I would not have thought a resident, as the council are quite stuffy about stray residents planting stuff on their ground. Less stuffy about organised groups, perhaps the Friends of Clayhill Green - except that I have never heard of them.

Home to inspect another sign of spring in a very shady corner of the back patio. Probably an indoor flowering gift which, after flowering, got put in a pot outside.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv6.blogspot.com/2026/03/error.html.

Reference 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_suber.

Reference 3: https://psmv2.blogspot.com/2014/09/kingfisher-time.html.

Group search key: 20260222.