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Quercus suber

Accession Count: 4
Common Name: cork oak
Family Name: Fagaceae
Botanical Name: Quercus suber
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics: The cork oak has three inch long leaves that are ovate and dentate. Quercus suber is an evergreen tree native to the Mediterranean, that grows slowly and can reach a height of 20 meters. It flowers during the summer, and is pollinated by wind since it has both male and female seeds on the same plant. It grows to have a thick trunk, which branches out to several thinner branches with leaves on them. The tree is very sturdy and can tolerate strong winds, but it is frost tender.
Compound: Que sub
Geographic Origin: Mediterranean
Ecozone Origin: Palearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:

The Natural History of UA Campus Heritage Accession: The Quercus suber, or cork oak, on the south side of the Engineering Building is the largest on campus, and quite possibly the largest in Tucson.


Although there is no record of the year it was planted, one voucher specimen at the UA herbarium dates back to 1936. The tree, a Campus Arboretum Heritage Tree and and a Great Tree of Arizona, lives in the memory of students and faculty who have called UA their home. Steve Fazio, former Professor of Plant Sciences, spotlighted the tree on his own tree tours for new students in the late 1940’s.

More recently, alumni who were on campus in the 1960’s remember using it as part of a fraternity scavenger hunt. Today students of botany, landscape architecture, ecology, and other sciences learn about the centuries-old technique of sustainably harvesting cork by peeling off the bark.
Cultivation Notes:
Tolerates a variety of soils. May get chlorosis in alkaline soils. Drops old leaves in springtime. The species is valued for its patio attributes.
Ethnobotany:
Quercus suber has many uses including food, medicine, repellent, wood and other various things. Its seeds are edible when cooked, and can be made into several different foods such as breads, or made into powder. Its seed can also be roasted as a coffee substitute. Medicinally, Quercus suber produces a strong astringent that is useful in treating hemorrhages, chronic diahrrea, dysentery and other similar medical problems. The bark from Quercus suber is commonly cultivated and used to make cork. In order to do this, the bark is carefully cultivated from the trees, so that the trees aren’t harmed. By doing it this way, the bark can be collected to make cork, but the tree remains unharmed, and can grow new bark. 
Height: 20 - 50 feet
Width: 20 - 50 feet
Growth Rate:
Grow Season: Summer
Flower Season:
Color:
Function: Shade
Spread: Non-spreading
Allergen: Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Toxicity: Benign
Hardy: Hardy
Water Use: Low water Use
Citations:
1. Duffield, Mary Rose., and Warren D. Jones. Plants For Dry Climates - How To Select, Grow And Enjoy. Lane Publishing Company, 1992.

Additional resources:
https://selectree.calpoly.edu/tree-detail/quercus-suber. Retrieved May 10, 2017. 
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+suber. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
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Quercus suber