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William Lucombe (before 1720 – after 1785) was a
horticulturalist Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...
and
nurseryman A nursery is a place where plants are propagated and grown to a desired size. Mostly the plants concerned are for gardening, forestry or conservation biology, rather than agriculture. They include retail nurseries, which sell to the general p ...
, who discovered and gave his name to the natural hybrid Lucombe Oak ('' Quercus × hispanica'' 'Lucombeana'), a
semi-deciduous Semi-deciduous or semi-evergreen is a botanical term which refers to plants that lose their foliage for a very short period, when old leaves fall off and new foliage growth is starting. This phenomenon occurs in tropical and sub-tropical woody spe ...
oak tree An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
.


The Lucombe nursery

William Lucombe began his horticultural career as Head Gardener in the service of merchant Thomas Ball at
Mamhead Park Mamhead is a rural village and civil parish near Dawlish and Kenton in Devon, South West England, in the Teignbridge local authority area. Current community venues includMamhead Village Halland The Church of England parish church, dedicated t ...
in Devon circa 1720. It was while working at Mamhead that he founded his nursery, the first commercial
plant nursery A nursery is a place where plants are propagated and grown to a desired size. Mostly the plants concerned are for gardening, forestry or conservation biology, rather than agriculture. They include retail nurseries, which sell to the general p ...
in
South West England South West England, or the South West of England, is one of nine official regions of England. It consists of the counties of Bristol, Cornwall (including the Isles of Scilly), Dorset, Devon, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Cities ...
,Harvey, J. (1975). ''Early Nurserymen''. Phillimore, Chichester, UK. marketing many of the plants collected by Ball during the latter's commercial travels abroad, most famously the Holm Oak.Stroud, D. (1950). ''Capability Brown''. Republished 1984. Faber & Faber, London. Lucombe bred his eponymous oak at the nursery he founded in 1720 in St Thomas, Exeter. In 1794, his son John Lucombe took possession of the nursery on Alphington Road, later known as the Exeter Nursery. In 1801, Benjamin Pince became a partner in the business, and by 1807 the nursery enterprise was trading as 'John Lucombe, Pince & Co'. At this time they bought the adjoining nursery of William Ford and Son on Alphington Street. In 1824, John Lucombe sold the business to Captain Robert Pince for £1500. The nursery flourished under his son Robert Taylor Pince, but began to decline in the late 19th century, and the site was sold to the city of Exeter in 1912. Part of the land became Pince's Gardens, a public park, part allotments and the remainder housing.Wood, T. (2013). ''The Beginning and the End of Lucombe, Pince & Co.''


Lucombe Oaks

The
natural hybrid In biology, a hybrid is the offspring resulting from combining the qualities of two organisms of different breeds, varieties, species or genera through sexual reproduction. Hybrids are not always intermediates between their parents (such as in ...
Lucombe Oak was first spotted in 1762 when Lucombe noticed that one of the saplings produced from a Turkey Oak acorn he had planted kept its leaves in winter. He later observed that these features occurred where both parent species grew, ''Quercus cerris'' (Turkey Oak) and ''Quercus suber'' (Cork Oak). True Lucombe Oaks are clones of the original tree, but the name 'Lucombe Oak' is also often used to refer to any Spanish Oak, a frequently occurring hybrid between Turkey Oaks and Cork Oaks. The Lucombe Oak is a large semi-evergreen tree developing a deeply furrowed bark when mature. Leaves to about 12 x 5 cm, glossy dark green above, grey beneath and edged with sharp teeth. Raised at the Lucombe nursery, Exeter from seed of ''Q. cerris'' in about 1763. It produces viable seed, and many seedlings have been distribute

One of the early Lucombe Oaks went to Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Kew Gardens. The current champion is at
Powis Castle Powis Castle ( cy, Castell Powys) is a British medieval castle, fortress and grand country house near Welshpool, in Powys. The seat of the Herbert family, Earls of Powis, the castle is known for its formal gardens and for its interiors, the fo ...
, Wales. Lucombe Oaks along with their descendants, which include back crosses with the naturalized Turkey Oak, are common in the landscape of
East Devon East Devon is a local government district in Devon, England. Its council has been based in Honiton since February 2019, and the largest town is Exmouth (with a population of 34,432 at the time of the 2011 census). The district was formed ...
, as well as in parks and gardens. A number of Lucombe Oaks are planted in the grounds of County Hall in Exeter - the headquarters of Devon County Council. The Tree Register of the British Isles−TROBI Champion is at Phear Park in
Exmouth Exmouth is a port town, civil parish and seaside resort, sited on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe and southeast of Exeter. In 2011 it had a population of 34,432, making Exmouth the 5th most populous settlement in Devon. Histo ...
, measuring in height, with a trunk diameter of in 2008.> Lucombe felled the original hybrid in 1785, keeping timber from it from which his coffin was to be made when he died. He stored the boards under his bed. However, he lived, for the age, an exceptionally long life, dying at the age of 102 years. By that time the planks had decayed in the Devon dampness. Instead, on his death, timber from one of his early graft propagations was used to make his coffin. http://www.oaksofchevithornebarton.com/detail.cfm/plant_id/1623


External links

*Pinces Garden


RBGkew.org: Lucombe Oak at Kew Gardens


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lucombe, William English horticulturists Nurserymen Year of birth missing Year of death missing 18th-century births Botanists active in Kew Gardens Businesspeople from Exeter 18th-century British botanists 18th-century English businesspeople