Cork oak
Evergreen tree up to 26m tall. Bark deeply fissured and corky, up to 15cm thick in places. Leaves weakly lobed with a slight point at the tip, up to 4cm long. Each tree has male and female flowers (monoecious). Acorns solitary or paired and are deeply cupped by the upper scales. Pollinated by wind.
Nathan explains the importance and incredible properties of cork oak. Facts This is one of the few trees able to regenerate their bark. Cork is a kind of bark where the dead cells are waterproofed by a wax called suberin. Most trees produce some cork but the cork oak produces lots! One cubic centimetre of cork contains 40 million air cells. It is warm to the touch, durable, light, bouncy, chemically inert, and the suction-cup effe… Continue Reading (2 minute read)