Cork oak

Family: Fagaceae. Native to the western part of the Mediterranean.

Belongs to the evergreen oaks and is therefore used in southern landscape and park planting as small groups and solitary plantings. Besides being evergreen, another notable feature of this species is the thick cork layer on the trunk and branches.

Grows slowly, as a tree 15–20 m tall, with a spreading, open crown. Leaves leathery up to 7 cm, oval or ovate-oblong, with small sharp teeth or entire margins, dark green, shiny above and grayish, densely pubescent beneath. Acorns ripen in the first year, up to 3 cm long, 1/3 enclosed by a densely pubescent cupule.

Long-lived, reaching 400 years or more, thermophilous and moisture-loving. Tolerates temperature drops down to -17°C without damage. Not demanding regarding soil, insufficiently drought-tolerant. Valued as a cork-producing species. Long cultivated.

based on materials from the website www.ultradrome.narod.ru