Oak Tree Facts

Oaks are a group of over 450 different trees. Most belong to a family with the Latin name Quercus.
Quercus oaks grow in the northern half of the world in temperate regions or high up in the tropics.
Southern oaks, such as the Australian and Tasmanian oaks, don’t actually belong to the Quercus family.
Most oaks from warmer places, such as the holm oak, are evergreen.
When a nail is driven into freshly cut oak, it creates a blue stain as tannin in the wood reacts with the iron.
Tannin from oak bark has been used for curing leather for as long ago as the days of ancient Greece.
Oaks have leaves with four or five pairs of lobes. They grow fruits called acorns in a little cup.
Oak trees can live a thousand years or more and grow up to 40 m. In Europe, oaks are the oldest of all trees.
Oak wood is very strong and durable and so was the main building wood for centuries — used for timber frames in houses and for building ships.
Oak trees are divided into white oaks such as the English oak and red oaks like the North American pine oak. The color refers to the color of their wood.

This entry is filed under Interesting Facts.