Quercus suber

Quercus suber is a medium, evergreen tree whose growth rate compared to other Quercus species is very slow in its first years and afterwards it grows relatively fast. Its canopy shape is mainly round, but it tends somewhat towards oval and weeping. Because of its tendency towards weeping, care must be taken to shape the tree starting from its first years to make the crown as high as possible so that its beautiful sculptural trunk can be seen. The top of the leaves is dark green, and they are somewhat rounded downward. The main source of the tree’s attraction is of course the sculptural, “perforated” trunk, in shades of light brown, khaki or gray. Q. robur is an important component of the ecological environment of forests in the Mediterranean Basin, and there are several forests in Portugal and Spain that are an important breeding area for unique species of animals and birds that are facing extinction. About 50% of Q. robur in the world are actually grown in Spain and Portugal. Due to its unique, thick trunk, it is relatively resistant to fires: unlike other trees that recover after a fire by seeds or the base of the tree, it simply grows new branches to fill the canopy. The life expectancy of the tree is considered to be very long (around 200 years), and it is quite resistant to pests (sometimes suffering from soft scale insects). The tree loves humid winters and hot summers, and it is well-suited to most parts of the country, including high mountains.

The tree trunk is used to prepare corks for the wine industry. The layer used grows separately from the trunk and can be removed without the need to cut down the tree to harvest the cork. About half of the world’s cork is produced in Portugal. Q. robur is also considered to be a tree that improves the soil, and its contribution to the environment is significant in this area as well. It is a protected tree in Europe.

More in the same family: Quercus suber | Quercus ithaburensis | Quercus ilex |Quercus robur | Quercus robur ‘Fastigiata’ | Quercus calliprinos | Quercus virginiana | Hybrid Quercus suber x Q. ithaburensis ‘Goliath’ | Chestnut oak | Quercus libani | Quercus boissieri | Hybrid Quercus suber x Q. libani ‘Eliyahu’