What is cork tree?
Quercus suber, commonly called the cork oak, is a medium-sized, evergreen oak tree in the section Quercus sect. Cerris. It is the primary source of cork for wine bottle stoppers and other uses, such as cork flooring and as the cores of cricket balls. It is native to southwest Europe and northwest Africa. In the Mediterranean basin the tree is an ancient species with fossil remnants dating back to the Tertiary period.
It endures drought and makes little demand on the soil quality and is regarded as a defence against desertification.
Where do cork oak trees grow?
The cork oak, grown in forests or groves, lives up to 200 years. Cork oak bark grows in around of 1.5 mm each year retaining huge amount of CO2 from the atmosphere during his growth. A forest of cork oak trees is usually called a Montado.
Cork trees grow mainly in the Mediterranean region. This part of the world produces more than 80% of the world’s total cork production. Countries that receive a lot of sunshine, low rainfall and high humidity have a lot of cork oak trees. Portugal is considered to be the home to the largest collection of cork oak trees. Other countries that produce cork are Spain, Italy, France, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and China.
The cork oak tree grows without the need of chemical substances or irrigation, although recent research confirms that irrigation can allow a short time between harvests.
The trees typically reach a height of 40-60 ft (12-18 m) and a trunk circumference of 6-10 ft (2-3 m). Virtually all of the world’s commercial cork trees grow in the western Mediterranean region and the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal’s cork forests are the most productive. Accounting for 30% of the existing trees, they produce half of the world’s harvested cork.
What temperature and soil conditions do cork trees need?
To grow well, cork oak trees need a sandy, chalk-free soil with low nitrogen and high potassium. They also need rainfall from 400-800 mm per year and a temperature range between -5 ºC to 40 ºC.
It is amazing that in today’s synthetic world where nothing seems to be natural, cork is such a wonderful product. It does so much for us without harming nature in any manner. The range of products created out of cork material is wide. With new ways to use it being thought of all the time, it’s definitely going to be an environmentally friendly favorite for many years to come.
However, with all this said, there is always a significant difference between reading about something and actually feeling that material. Cork and its products also need to be touched to truly understand how amazing it is. We hope you can experience it someday to sense and appreciate this wonderful creation!
What’s the origin of the cork tree?
References of cork trees and their uses in history go back thousands of years ago. History has many stories regarding cork material and cork applications. It is believed that in China cork material was used in 3000 BC for the purpose of fishing. Similarly, Egypt, Babylon and Persia also used cork material to produce various everyday items. In Italy, articles such as floats, stoppers for casks, women’s footwear and roofing materials made of cork date back to 4th century BC.
For thousands of years, cork has been used as a stopper in bottles. But did you know that cork was even found in the tombs dating back to primitive Egypt? Not only this, but ancient Greeks and Romans also made good use of cork material. They used it to make fishing nets, sandals, wine bottle stoppers and even personal flotation devices for fishermen. Villagers used it to build homes as it kept their houses warm in winters and cool in summers. In addition to this, cork made the floors soft and comfortable to walk on.