Quercus Suber - Cork Oak

Whilst on holiday in Spain one year,  I  had the most fascinating insight into Cork production for the wine trade.

The bark (cork) is removed from  the  main trunks and larger parts of the tree- as hopefully you can see on the pictures.

To give you an example, the thirteen trees that were harvested in a group filled the whole of a 3 ton truck with caged sides.  The individual pieces of cork were seven or eight feet long and smaller bits that were a couple of feet long or so.
I am told that it takes at least 5 years for the bark to re grow, enough for another harvest.

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In nearly all other circumstances, if a tree was to be stripped of as much bark it would not survive as it would kill off the transport system that is crucial to is survival. Therefore this process is truly remarkable.

A good example of this would be found when deer and rabbit damage occurs, where the tree  guard has come off or not been used.

The tree was very dark from where the bark was removed, almost black in fact.  The twigs at the top of the tree are very dark too.  

This valuable evergreen is mostly found in middle to southern Europe, but can be grown in a very sheltered position in the UK, but is best in the southern parts of the UK. It struggles on shallow chalky soils but can grow in most other soils.
The tree in its native conditions will reach 50 feet or more, but in England it would probably be half that.

It is still slow growing and long lived as most other  oak trees are. The foliage is glossy and dark green on top and a buff/ grey colour underneath and the silhouette of the tree is typical of that of the English oak after 70 years or more.
These remarkable trees are available from specialist nurseries and would be fun to try.  They are sufficiently slow for them not to be oversized in the next 20 years and can easily be grown in a large tub.

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