12 facts about oak trees that you don't believe
12 facts about oak trees that you don't believe
The oak tree is one of the oldest and widest canopy species on the planet.
They feed various living organisms with their leaves and fruit.
Oaks also played an important role in human history.
Humans originally built houses, built tools and built powerful ships out of oak.
These trees are still one of the most important sources of raw materials in our modern times.
Elegant furniture, floor coverings, cosmetic creams and wine barrels are some of the many products being produced with oak.
Here are 12 interesting facts about oak trees!
Compared to coastal redwoods that typically grow to a height of 379 feet (116 meters), the oak remains of a medium height tree.
However, in contrast to red wood, their branches can extend along length.
Unlike many other trees, the oak tree has not gone extinct for such a long time.
This is mainly because their seeds are encased in a hard shell.
Additionally, the fruit and leaves are coated with tannic acid to help prevent fungi and insects from harming them.
They are considered old when the tree reaches 700 years of age.
Until that age, the oak trees continued to grow and produce oaks to multiply their offspring.
When plants pass the 1,000-year mark, their growth slows down and some parts begin to die.
Each fruit contains only one seed wrapped in a hard shell.
In addition to seeds, they are a major source of food for many species of birds such as woodpeckers, ducks and pigeons.
Squirrels, rats, rats and other larger mammals, such as deer, pigs, and bears also eat oak.
However, if you are a dog or horse breeder, be aware that oak is toxic to your animals.
The tannic and gallic acids found in acorn fruit can poison both dogs and horses, leading to serious digestive and kidney problems.
The largest populations of oak trees can be found in North America, especially in Mexico, where about 160 species grow and 109 of them are endemic.
The United States also has more than 90 species.
My favorite among them is the northern red oak (Quercus rubra);
In addition to being the largest tree, it is also one of the oldest known living oak trees with an estimated age of 1,500 years.
The owner of the tree, Carole Hendra Doby, named the live oak "Seven Sisters Oak" because she was one of seven sisters.
Furthermore, the oak tree has seven sets of branches that sprout from its central stem.
You may have seen one of those big old wooden wine barrels.
The aging process in oak barrels is a historic process by famous winemakers.
It is still practiced in our day.
Before the wine was bottled, it was kept in the barrel for a long time.
Oak adds the unique flavors and aromas of vanilla, coconut and smoke to wine.
Truffles are closely related to oak roots.
Did you know that it's almost impossible to grow truffles on farms?
Their development is tied to mystery and uncertainty.
As a result, the price of truffles is much higher than any other mushroom.
Truffles farmers don't grow truffles; instead, they grow oak, hoping to facilitate truffles growth.
That is indeed unfortunate news.
Farmers in Mexico and Central America are clearing oak trees to open up grazing land or grow coffee.
And, they use chopped oak as construction material, with the rest processed to produce charcoal.
There are currently about 78 species of oak trees considered endangered.
Usually, oak trees begin to bear fruit when they reach 50 years old.
As adults, they can produce more than 10,000 acorns, most of which are digested and fertilized into the ground by animals.
It is estimated that only one in 1,000 that survives is an oak tree.
In other words, a fully grown oak will produce one oak tree per year.
The dense and strong oak wood made them advantageous in many construction projects in ancient times.
The Vikings crafted their ships using the local oak tree (they also used pine).
The ships of the Royal Navy were also built from oak trees until the mid-19th century.
Today, oak is still the choice of carpenters when they create furniture and furniture.
Throughout the centuries, mainly in parts of Europe, oak trees were worshiped, associating them with mythological gods, namely Zeus and Jupiter.
Druids also adore oak trees.
They marry under spreading oak branches and carry oak berries, believing that doing so will bring them happiness and good health.
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