Cork oak
Family Fagaceae
Quercus suber, the cork oak (Q. suber 1), is a monoecious tree, up to 20 m high, with simple alternate leaves and small inconspicuous flowers; the male ones in pendulous catkins, the female ones solitary.
Distribution
The cork oak is native to the Mediterranean region and is commercially cultivated in Portugal and Spain, North Africa and California.
Use
The tree produces cork in 3-5 cm thick layers (Q. suber 2), which are stripped off in the early summer when the tree is at least 15 years old. Every 10 years this process can be repeated. The fresh cork is cooked for a few minutes and pressed into straight plates. Cork is water-repellent, elastic and has insulating properties. It is used for stops, isolation, floats for fishing nets, mouthpieces for cigarettes and life jackets. Ground cork is used for the manufacture of linoleum.