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Quercus suber - L.

Common Name Cork Oak
Family Fagaceae
USDA hardiness 7-10
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Siliceous hills on the littoral[89].
Range S. Europe to N. Africa.
Edibility Rating    (2 of 5)
Other Uses    (4 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (2 of 5)
Care (info)
Frost Hardy Moist Soil Semi-shade Full sun
Quercus suber Cork Oak


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Koeh-254.jpg
Quercus suber Cork Oak
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Jean-Pol_GRANDMONT

 

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Summary


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of cone
Quercus suber is an evergreen Tree growing to 20 m (65ft) by 15 m (49ft) at a slow rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen in October. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Wind.
Suitable for: medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Habitats

Woodland Garden Canopy;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Seed
Edible Uses: Coffee

Seed - cooked[105]. A famine food[177]. It can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. The seed contains bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. The traditional method of preparing the seed was to bury it in boggy ground overwinter. The germinating seed was dug up in the spring when it would have lost most of its astringency. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute. One reader noted the Q. suber population of the Mamora forest in Morocco contains only sweet acorns and can be eaten raw, it has a similar taste to raw chestnuts. The skin removes quite easyl Quercus ilex also exists with tannin-free acorns in the moroccan forests, the locals say around 20 percent are sweet.

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Astringent  Dysentery

Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc[4].

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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FOOD FOREST PLANTS

Other Uses

Cork  Fodder  Repellent  Shelterbelt  Tannin  Wood

A mulch of the leaves repels slugs, grubs etc, though fresh leaves should not be used as these can inhibit plant growth. Oak galls are excrescences that are sometimes produced in great numbers on the tree and are caused by the activity of the larvae of different insects. The insects live inside these galls, obtaining their nutrient therein. When the insect pupates and leaves, the gall can be used as a rich source of tannin, that can also be used as a dyestuff[4]. A fairly wind-tolerant tree, it can be used in shelterbelt plantings[200]. Good on dry banks. Shade tree. Bark is the source of cork, it is much used for heat and sound insulation, flooring, floats etc. Trees are first harvested when they are 25 - 30 years old[74], and then harvested every 6 - 12 years[117]. The bark must be removed carefully so as not to harm the tree. A large tree can yield up to 1 tonne of cork. On a 10% moisture basis, the bark contains 16.9% tannin[223]. Wood.

Special Uses

Carbon Farming

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Fodder: Mast  Industrial Crop: Cork  Industrial Crop: Tannin  Management: Standard  Other Systems: Dehesa  Other Systems: Strip intercrop  Regional Crop

Prefers a good deep fertile loam which can be on the stiff side[11]. Lime tolerant[188]. Young plants tolerate reasonable levels of side shade[200]. Tolerates moderate exposure, surviving well but being somewhat stunted[200]. Cultivated for its bark in Europe, it is the main source of cork[50, 89]. Trees are first harvested when they are 25 - 30 years old and are then harvested on a 10 - 12 year rotation. Only hardy in the milder areas of Britain[200], it is not very frost resistant[98]. Trees grow well in Cornwall where there are many large specimens[11, 49, 59]. Trees grow quite well at Kew[K]. Transplants badly unless it is moved regularly, it should only be moved in September or as growth commences in late spring[11]. Does not fruit well in Britain. Most of the trees grown in Britain as Q. suber are in fact Q. suber occidentalis[11]. Hybridizes freely with other members of the genus[200]. This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[88, 200]. Heat Zone: 9-7.

Carbon Farming

  • Fodder: Mast  Fruits and seeds of shrubs, woody vines, trees, cacti, and other non-herbaceous vegetation available for animal consumption.
  • Industrial Crop: Cork  The inner bark of a tree. Uses include bottle stoppers, insulation, soundproofing, shoe cushions.
  • Industrial Crop: Tannin  Occur generally in the roots, wood, bark, leaves, and fruit of many plants. Used in tanning leather, dyeing fabric, making ink, and medical applications.
  • Management: Standard  Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.
  • Other Systems: Dehesa  A fodder tree silvopasture system with livestock grazing on tree crops - nuts, fruit, acorns, woody pods, fodder.
  • Other Systems: Strip intercrop  Tree crops grown in rows with alternating annual crops.
  • Regional Crop  These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

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Propagation

Seed - it quickly loses viability if it is allowed to dry out. It can be stored moist and cool overwinter but is best sown as soon as it is ripe in an outdoor seed bed, though it must be protected from mice, squirrels etc. Small quantities of seed can be sown in deep pots in a cold frame. Plants produce a deep taproot and need to be planted out into their permanent positions as soon as possible, in fact seed sown in situ will produce the best trees[11]. Trees should not be left in a nursery bed for more than 2 growing seasons without being moved or they will transplant very badly.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Plant Search

Search over 900 plants ideal for food forests and permaculture gardens. Filter to search native plants to your area. The plants selected are the plants in our book 'Plants For Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens, as well as plants chosen for our forthcoming related books for Tropical/Hot Wet Climates and Mediterranean/Hot Dry Climates. Native Plant Search

Found In

Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

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123

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

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Expert comment

Author

L.

Botanical References

1150200

Links / References

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Readers comment

Peter Gibbons   Thu Jan 19 2006

SunnyGardens.com Find additional information for this plant at SunnyGardens.com.

   Feb 15 2012 12:00AM

The cork oak tree is where wine stoppers come from. Wine stoppers are made from the cork from the cork oak tree. The trees typically live 200 - 300 years and in some cases longer. The great thing about harvesting cork from them is that the tree is never damaged and the cork grows back in a few years and is harvested again. Cork flooring is actually made from the waste that comes from the wine stopper industry. So everything harvested from the cork tree is used. Cork flooring then becomes the most Eco-Friendly alternative for flooring. It's not only better for the environment but its also extremely durable, comfortable and hypoallergenic thanks to the suberin in the cork.

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Subject : Quercus suber  
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