We have recently published ‘Food Forest Plants for Hotter Conditions’: i.e. tropical and sub-tropical regions. We rely on regular donations to keep our free database going and help fund development of this and another book we are planning on food forest plants for Mediterranean climates. Please give what you can to keep PFAF properly funded. More >>>

Follow Us:

 

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

 

Translate this page:

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

Plant 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

The Bookshop: Edible Plant Books

Our Latest books on Perennial Plants For Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens in paperback or digital formats.

Food Forest Plants for Hotter Conditions: 250+ Plants For Tropical Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.
Edible Tropical Plants

Food Forest Plants for Hotter Conditions: 250+ Plants For Tropical Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.

More
Plants for Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.
Edible Temperate Plants

Plants for Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.

More
PFAF have eight books available in paperback and digital media.
More Books

PFAF have eight books available in paperback and digital formats. Browse the shop for more information.

Shop Now

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

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

Fahrenheit:

image

The PFAF Bookshop

Plants For A Future have a number of books available in paperback and digital form. Book titles include Edible Plants, Edible Perennials, Edible Trees,Edible Shrubs, Woodland Gardening, and Temperate Food Forest Plants. Our new book is Food Forest Plants For Hotter Conditions (Tropical and Sub-Tropical).

Shop Now

Plant 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 Range

EUROPE: Italy (incl. Sardinia, Sicily), Spain, France (incl. Corsica), Portugal AFRICA: Algeria (north), Morocco, Tunisia

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 :

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Quercus × schuetteiSchuette's oakTree18.0 4-8 FMHNMWe303
Quercus acutaJapanese Evergreen OakTree25.0 6-9 MMHSNM222
Quercus acutissimaSawthorn OakTree5.0 5-9 MMHSNM223
Quercus agrifoliaEncina, California live oak, Coast Live OakTree15.0 8-11 SMHSNM322
Quercus albaWhite Oak, Hybrid oakTree20.0 3-9 SMHSNDM324
Quercus alienaOriental White OakTree20.0 4-8  MHSNM222
Quercus aucheriBoz-Pirnal OakShrub5.0 7-10 SMHSNDM421
Quercus bicolorSwamp White OakTree25.0 4-8 MMHSNMWe423
Quercus brantiiBarro, Brant's oakTree8.0 7-9 FLMHNDM323
Quercus cerrisTurkey Oak, European turkey oakTree35.0 5-9 FMHSNM322
Quercus chrysolepisLive Oak, Canyon live oakTree25.0 8-11 SMHSNM222
Quercus cocciferaKermes OakShrub4.0 5-9  MHSNM323
Quercus coccineaScarlet OakTree25.0 4-8 MMHSNM223
Quercus dentataJapanese Emperor Oak, Daimyo oakTree20.0 4-8 FMHSNM222
Quercus douglasiiBlue OakTree12.0 8-11 SMHSNDM324
Quercus durataCalifornia Scrub Oak, Leather oakShrub4.0 7-10  MHSNM222
Quercus ellipsoidalisNorthern Pin OakTree20.0 4-6 MMHSNM223
Quercus emoryiBlack Oak, Emory oakTree12.0 6-9 SMHSNM323
Quercus engelmanniiEvergreen Oak, Engelmann oak, Mesa OakTree10.0 8-11 MMHSNM223
Quercus falcataSouthern Red Oak, Cherrybark Oak, Spanish Oak, Southern Red OakTree25.0 7-9 MMHSNM122
Quercus floribunda Tree0.0 -  MHSNM223
Quercus frainettoHungarian Oak, Italian Oak, Forest Green OakTree30.0 5-8 FMHSNM422
Quercus fruticosaGall Oak, Lusitanian OakShrub2.0 7-10  MHNM322
Quercus gambeliiShin Oak, Gambel oak, Rocky Mountain White OakShrub4.5 4-8 SMHSNDM323
Quercus garryanaOregon White Oak, Garry OakTree18.0 7-9 SMHSNM223
Quercus glaucaRing-cup oak , Ring Cupped Oak, Blue Japanese OakTree15.0 8-9 SMHSNM323
Quercus hispanica Tree20.0 6-9  MHSNM323
Quercus ilexHolly Oak, Evergreen OakTree25.0 7-10 SLMHSNM523
Quercus ilex ballotaHolm OakTree25.0 6-9 SLMHSNM523
Quercus imbricariaShingle Oak, Northern Laurel OakTree20.0 4-8 MMHSNM223
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.

 

Expert comment

Author

L.

Botanical References

1150200

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here

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.

Add a comment

If you have important information about this plant that may help other users please add a comment or link below. Only comments or links that are felt to be directly relevant to a plant will be included. If you think a comment/link or information contained on this page is inaccurate or misleading we would welcome your feedback at [email protected]. If you have questions about a plant please use the Forum on this website as we do not have the resources to answer questions ourselves.

* Please note: the comments by website users are not necessarily those held by PFAF and may give misleading or inaccurate information.

To leave a comment please Register or login here All comments need to be approved so will not appear immediately.

Subject : Quercus suber  
© 2010, Plants For A Future. Plants For A Future is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. Charity No. 1057719, Company No. 3204567.