Large-fruited oak. Variety of oak species. Features of working with oak wood

The durability and appearance of oaks made a great impression on people even in antiquity. Old trees were worshiped as temples of the deity by most of the peoples of Europe. The ancient Romans and Greeks believed that this mighty tree is the habitat of their supreme deities - Jupiter and Zeus. This is why the Roman Empire celebrated its prominent citizens with oak leaf wreaths. The mention of these trees is found even in the Old Testament.

Description and distribution of oak

This genus of plants, first identified in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus, has between 400 and 600 species. The distribution area includes most of the northern hemisphere, extending from the temperate to the tropical zone on different continents:

  • America.
  • Europe.
  • North Africa and Asia.

North America has the largest number of species, with about 90 found in the US and 160 in Mexico, of which 109 species are endemic. The second largest center of oak diversity is China, which has about 100 species.

In Europe, during the Ice Age, oak populations were limited to only three areas located in Spain, Italy and the Balkans. Later, they again colonized the territory of the European continent. Today, oaks are key species in a wide range of habitats of Mediterranean semi-desert and subtropical forests. They are also important components of deciduous forests.

Oak leaves are traditionally an important part of the regalia of the German army. The Nazi Party used the traditional German eagle as its coat of arms, standing over a swastika in a wreath of oak leaves.

During the Third Reich of Nazi Germany, oak leaves were depicted on the cross of the Knights of the Iron Cross. They also symbolize rank in the United States Armed Forces.

Oak is a genus of plants that belongs to the beech family. There are two varieties: tree and shrub. Oak combines over 500 species. The habitat of the tree is represented by the Northern Hemisphere. The plant loves a temperate climate, so in the southern part of the planet it lives only in the tropical highlands. The leaves and fruits are well recognizable, partially edible and beneficial to health.

maturation cycle

Oak is a tree that belongs to an evergreen plant species. Its crown may not change for several years. Nevertheless, there are species in which the leaves fall off with the onset of the first frost. The inflorescences of the tree are unisexual, small. It should be noted that the crown cover during pollination is poorly developed. Strong flowers are only female, male earrings can fall off at the slightest breath of wind. It is noteworthy that oak is a tree, for pollination of which scales of two sexes are needed at once. The ripening of the fruit occurs in the roller, which is a small saucer. Subsequently, an acorn grows in it. Each breed and the shape of the roller is different. In some species, the acorns are elongated, in the second - round and small, in the third - nut-shaped. It is allowed to cross breeds, but this is likely to lead to a noticeable decrease in yield.

Extremely slow, but can live for hundreds of years. The root system is formed during the first year, then it constantly develops. It is interesting that after sawing down the oak, after some time, powerful shoots sprout abundantly from the stump. Oak is a tree that is not too demanding on the soil, so the soil can be anything. Natural reproduction occurs by acorns. The height of the oak varies up to 40-45 meters. The volume of the crown depends on the breed and climate.

Description of pedunculate oak

This type of plant is considered to be ordinary, since it is the most common in the European part of the planet. An oak sprouts from an acorn in just six months. Further, over the course of 20 years, its trunk, crown and roots are formed. reach a height of 50 meters. The trunk and branches are thick, powerful, able to withstand even heavy wind. Under moderate conditions and a developed root system, pedunculate oaks can live up to 1000 years. The bark is dark brown, thick. The leaves are oblong, grow in bunches, have from 3 to 7 blunt lobes with slight teeth. These trees bloom in late spring. Common oaks are very fond of the sun, as it is a heat-resistant plant. Acorns up to 3.5 cm long.

Features of downy oak

Most often, representatives of this breed are found in Transcaucasia, in the Crimea, as well as in Asia Minor and in southern Europe. The trees reach a height of only 8-10 meters. Differ in durability and heat resistance. It must be said that such oak species are significantly inferior to many other varieties in height. But they have a very sinuous thick trunk with spreading branches. Due to its small size and wide crown, the plant often resembles a large shrub from afar.

The length of the leaves sometimes reaches 10 cm. They are variable in shape, grow in pairs, the lobes are slightly pointed, dark green. Interestingly, the scales surrounding the acorn are very fluffy and soft.

Holm oak texture

The Mediterranean is considered the birthplace of the tree and at the moment they are actively cultivated in North Africa and Europe. This is an evergreen plant whose height is 22-25 meters. The trunk is gray, smooth. The crown is spreading, dense. The leaves themselves are small, variable in shape, shiny, bright green in color, leathery. The fruits ripen only in the second year. Oak grows rapidly, regardless of the climate. It is suitable for frosts down to -20 degrees and heat up to +40. Shade tolerant, drought tolerant. The breed is called stone due to the fact that trees mainly grow on rocks, in mountainous areas.

Distinctive features of red oak

Most often found on the banks of rivers. Does not like stagnant water in the soil. It is native to North America, specifically Canada. In height, such trees reach 25 meters. Outwardly, the trunk is slender, smooth. The gray bark darkens and cracks over time. The oak crown is tent-shaped, green with yellowish tints closer to the ground. The leaves are large, sometimes their diameter reaches 25 cm. They have pointed lobes. In autumn they turn red and fall off.

The fruits are small, spherical, sizes - no more than 2 cm. Ripe acorns are red, slightly brown. Ripens by the end of autumn, the first year is lean. Steady fruitfulness - up to 20 years. The tree is frost-resistant, calmly resists strong winds and bright sun.

The plant is native to the east coast of North America. Large plantings are noted in forests with limestone-rich soil. Easily gets along with other breeds of oaks. It is important that the area was no higher than a kilometer above sea level. White oaks cannot stand severe frosts. The height of an adult tree is about 30 meters. The crown is powerful, tent-shaped, formed by sprawling branches. The color of the bark is grey. Old trees almost do not crack, unlike petiolate. The leaves are oval, large (up to 22 cm), have up to 9 lobes. During blooming, they turn red, in the summer they turn green, closer to winter they become purple and fall off. The length of the acorn is up to 2.5 cm. The fruits are almost not covered with scales, therefore they often fall from the tree from strong gusts of wind.

Description of large-fruited oak

These trees are a North American species. Grows up to 30 meters high. The trunk is thick, brown in color, cracking heavily after several years from the moment of emergence. The tent-like shape of the crown is achieved by powerful spreading branches.

The foliage is oblong, lobed, has a dark green color, shines in the sun and after rain. In autumn, the entire crown falls, sometimes along with thin branches. It is worth noting the diameter of the leaves - 25 cm. The acorns are large, often reaching a length of 5 cm. Oval in shape, covered by scales by a third. Large-fruited oak sprouts at an average speed. Seeds are very moisture-loving and frost-resistant. Because of this, the breed is considered decorative.

Reserve chestnut leaf oak

Widely distributed in Armenia, Iran and the north of the Caucasus. Cultivation is not amenable. Most of the plantings are wild. In the middle of the 20th century, these trees were listed in the Red Book, so their felling is strictly prohibited. In the Hyrkansky Reserve, they are watched over by specially trained people. Interestingly, the chestnut oak is a mixture of several wild species growing mainly on the crests of the ridges. Very photophilous, moderately resistant to frost, but does not tolerate drought.

When the tree blossoms, it looks like a huge chestnut, 30 meters high. The trunk is rather slender and thin, the branches are sprawling. Large chestnut-shaped leaves additionally emphasize the grandeur of the tent-shaped crown. Acorns swell up to 3 cm in length.

Swamp oak (pyramidal)

The birthplace of the breed is considered to be the southern regions of Canada. The tree reaches a height of about 25 meters. The crown resembles a pyramid from a distance. It is worth noting that the trunk practically merges with the leaves. The fact is that the bark of the swamp oak is completely green with an admixture of brown. The leaves are medium, have deep cuts and teeth. The color of the crown is green, but by autumn it becomes purple. The fruits are spherical, sessile, about 1.5 cm in diameter. Oak seeds love water, just like mature trees. For additional moisture, the root system goes deep into the ground. The habitat of the breed is a swampy area. Pyramidal oak grows quickly, with prolonged frosts it dies. Often large wild stands can be found on the shores of lakes and reservoirs.

Cultivation and reproduction

Pedunculate and large-fruited oak seedlings are very demanding on moisture and mineral richness of the soil. That is why they quickly emerge in floodplains and deep forest loams. It is not recommended to sow oak seedlings in podzol soil. In such soil, the sprouts will quickly die, as the roots will not be able to gain a foothold due to the high acidity of the humus. It is desirable to sow acorns in late autumn. The fruits must be fresh. If you allow the slightest drying of acorns, then germination will decrease significantly. Planting depth - from 5 to 8 cm. Before growing oak, it is important to know that the soil must be fertilized when sowing. To protect the sprouts from pests, it is necessary to cover them with spruce branches. It is also important to maintain a stable soil temperature (at least +2 degrees).

Many gardeners are wondering how to grow oak if other trees, due to circumstances, do not produce acorns. For it, you can use the breeding procedure. Green cuttings should be rooted in the first half of summer. It will not be superfluous to use special heteroauxins as a fertilizer. In addition, you need to know that cuttings of young trees germinate much faster and easier than old ones (more than 20 years old).

Features of pruning oaks

Representatives of this family of trees love careful care, despite the fact that they are considered wild. The pruning procedure especially affects the yield. Oak is a tree with monopodial branching. Therefore, the main stem must continue to grow until the end of the plant's life. In this case, the top cannot be limited in height. She always dominates the rest of the shoots. Pruning of branches should be done every few years. The best time to remove branches is early spring or late winter. It is important that the air temperature is not lower than -5 degrees. Otherwise, frostbite will appear at the cut points. By summer, these branches will dry to the ground. If there are a large number of them, then the whole tree will die. Only new shoots, growths and diseased branches should be removed.

Useful and harmful properties of oak

For medical purposes, the bark and young branches of the tree are often used, as well as acorns, less often leaves. The upper layers of the oak trunk contain a lot of resin, acids, sugar and pectin. The composition of the fruit includes such useful substances as organic oil, proteins, starch. Young leaves contain tannins, dyes and pentosans. Thanks to this, effective anti-inflammatory drugs are produced from the tree and fruits.

The antispasmodic properties of oak are also well known. For example, it effectively helps with colitis, intestinal bleeding, gastritis, diseases of the spleen and liver. Oak tinctures increase mental and physical activity, calm the central nervous system, improve the patency of the vascular system. On the other hand, preparations based on this plant are contraindicated in children and patients suffering from constipation, hemorrhoids, nausea, and stomach ulcers.

Resource usage

Oaks are in most cases used in construction and cooking, as well as in light industry. Sawdust is used to make corks and furniture. Wood is optimally suited for surface ships, fortifications, machine building, barrel making. The boards do not swell, burn poorly, are durable, hard and dense. When oak leaves blossom and acorns ripen, it's time for cooks. In North America, the fruits of the tree are often added to coffee, candy, and the most sophisticated dishes. In Asia, acorns are eaten fried with spices.

Oak is a member of the Beech family. It occurs as shrubs and trees. These huge luxurious giants are known to absolutely every person. Even in ancient times, the oak was a symbol of longevity and strength among many peoples. This plant is found in most regions of the northern hemisphere, and some species also grow in the southern hemisphere. In this article we will talk in detail about some types of this beautiful and powerful plant.

Oak has long been considered a symbol of wisdom and longevity due to its impressive lifespan.

On average, representatives of the genus continue their life cycle for about 5 centuries, however, some representatives of the specimens on our planet have been since the time of the baptism of Russia, that is, for more than a thousand years.

The size of this plant impresses many: the height can vary from 20 to 45 meters or more, the diameter of the trunk at the foot is from 1 to 2 meters.
Members of the genus are deciduous plants.. Some of them can be classified as evergreen (leaves fall every 2-4 years), the inhabitants of the temperate zone in most cases shed their leaves annually during the onset of winter cold. Their trunk is covered with thick, wrinkled, slightly sinuous bark.

The structure of the leaves depends on the type of oak tree.: on can be dentate, lobed, pinnatipartite, etc. Oak branches have a curved structure. This is explained by the fact that the oak is a very sun-loving plant, the branches of which always reach for the sun, and when the seasons change, the shoots change direction in growth.

The root system of these powerful plants is well developed and goes deep into the ground.. The crown of a tree usually has a spherical shape, but much depends on the place of growth. Oaks that grow in the forest have a narrow, vertically elongated crown.

Did you know? There is an oak in France, inside the trunk of which there is a small room with a diameter of 3.5 meters. According to conservative estimates, the age of the French legend is more than 2 thousand years.

If such a plant is found alone in the middle of a wasteland, then with a high degree of probability its crown will be very wide and spherical (the diameter will be measured in tens of meters).

Sometimes the crown can have a completely irregular shape. This happens when the plant grows in extreme conditions: with a constant lack of humidity, frequent strong winds, etc.
Oak blossom begins in late spring. Flowers are female and male, but they are all small and green in color. Male flowers are always collected in small inflorescences, resembling earrings, female flowers look like small grains. It is from female flowers that fruits are formed in the future - acorns.

Types of oaks of the Mediterranean, Canada, Southern Europe

This genus includes about 600 plant species. Some of them grow in the temperate and subtropical zone of southern Europe and the Mediterranean.

This variety of oak plant has a large number of decorative forms that differ in the structure and color of the leaves. The plant is unpretentious to weather conditions and soil type.

Without any problems, it withstands temperature changes, too wet or dry soil, environmental conditions of large cities.
The holm oak is evergreen and reaches a height of 25-35 meters in the wild. It has a smooth gray bark and a dense crown. The length of the leaves varies from 25 to 75 mm. They have a glossy finish on top.

The most common three types of leaves:

  • oval;
  • elliptical;
  • broadly lanceolate.

The tree grows very quickly and reaches its maximum height already in 60-70 years. Often used for decorative purposes for landscaping parks, estates, hedges and alleys.

This type of oak is also called northern, since it is most often found in Canada - the northernmost country of the American continent.

This representative of the genus prefers to grow in deciduous forests or along the banks of rivers and lakes (but only on moderately dry soils).

The plant can reach 25 meters in height, while the width of the crown varies from 5 to 15 meters.

Leaf characteristics:

  • thin and shiny;
  • have a characteristic red-burgundy color (in autumn) and dark green in summer;
  • the length of the leaves is about 15-20 cm, the width is 8-12 cm.

Red oak has a high level of frost and drought resistance. Practically undamaged by diseases and pests, it is immune to powdery mildew.

It is not demanding on the composition of the soil, so it can be planted in almost any place (for decorative purposes - for landscaping garden plots, parks, alleys, street sidewalks).

The ornamental subspecies has beautiful golden-sunny foliage, which is increasingly attracting owners of private parks and gardens.

It is found in the wild in the western Mediterranean. Distributed in the forests of France, Spain and Portugal. It tolerates hot climates and dry soil well, rarely found near river banks on wet soil types.

Cork oak has a well-branched root system, reaches a height of 25-30 meters, has a moderately dense spherical crown. It is practically not used for decorative purposes in the northern part of Europe and America, as it freezes completely at a temperature of -22 ° C.

Its leaves are oval in shape, covered with whitish pubescence below. Painted grey-green.
The plant has a thick bark that protects the trunk from the scorching sun of the Mediterranean countries. Cork oak bark has found wide application for technical purposes. It is used to make parquet, bottle caps, shoe soles, etc.

This representative of the Beech family is distributed almost throughout Europe.. However, it is most often found in mountainous and rocky areas of such countries:

  • France;
  • Italy;
  • Spain;
  • Portugal;
  • Andorra.

Unlike cork oak, craggy oak is able to withstand the severe winter frosts of Denmark, Sweden and Norway, so it is also regularly found in these countries. This plant has become most popular in Wales, where it is one of the national symbols (there it is also called the Welsh oak).

Rock oak has a tent-shaped crown, the height from the foot reaches 30-40 meters. Botanical data says that this plant practically does not take root in mountainous and rocky areas (from 0.1 m to 3 m). However, on well-drained forest soil, taproots can go as deep as 30-35 meters.
The leaves have a bright green color and an irregular lobed structure, reach a length of 12 cm. The leaves have a wedge-shaped or rounded base, 5-7 entire unequal lobes on the sides. This plant has a decorative value due to its beautiful leathery leaves.

Oaks of North America

More than 250 plant species of this genus grow in the wild nature of North America. This continent has the greatest variety of oak trees, most of which, oddly enough, grow in Mexico.

The plant in its natural habitat is found in the eastern United States and Mexico. White oak adorns the parks and alleys of many European countries, including Ukraine, Russia and Moldova. It has poor frost resistance (in St. Petersburg in winter, without proper shelter, it freezes a lot).
Likes soil rich in minerals and organic matter. Relatively favorably tolerates summer heat with a minimum amount of precipitation.

Did you know? Previously, the sides for warships were made from Virginian oak. It is known that even cannonballs fired at great speed bounced off such sides.

The plant has a powerful, dense, thick trunk, which is covered with light gray bark. At the age of 40-50 years, it reaches a height of 30 m, grows quite quickly (when compared with other representatives of the genus).

It has dark green leaves in summer and purplish-purple or burgundy-red in autumn. The leaves have an oblong-oval structure. Their length is 12-20 cm, width - 7-10 cm.

Distributed in many regions of North America. The plant does not tolerate severe frosts, but prefers moist, moderately rich soils. It is actively used in decorative and landscape design in the form of tapeworms and group plantings.
Large-fruited oak grows quickly and reaches a height of 30-35 meters. It has a spreading moderately dense crown. The leaves are green in summer, turning reddish in autumn. They have an obovate structure, reach a length of 25 cm.

Widely distributed in the eastern United States, where it grows near the banks of rivers, on the outskirts of roads (likes wet soils). The tree is slender, grows up to 25 m in height. The crown has a pyramidal structure, the projection diameter of which varies from 10 to 15 m. The bark remains smooth for a long time, colored greenish-gray.

The leaves are relatively small (up to 12 cm), have 5-7 cutouts almost to the very middle. Below covered with whitish pubescence. In autumn, they acquire a bright purple hue. Swamp oak has sessile acorns, which do not exceed 15 mm in diameter.

The homeland is the eastern states of the United States. The tree has a beautiful decorative appearance, is distinguished by a slender trunk and a small height (up to 20 m on average). The crown has a wide-round structure, but in youth it remains narrow-pyramidal.

Willow oak is covered with beautiful foliage that has the following characteristics:

  • length about 12 cm and width no more than 3 cm;
  • the leaves are very similar to willow, which was the reason for the name of this plant;
  • matte, below have a fine whitish pubescence.

Willow oak loves an increased amount of sunlight, prefers moderately moist soils, the composition of which is not particularly demanding. Withstands frosts down to -23 °C. It has been used in popular culture and decorative design since 1680.

The crescent oak grows in the humid forests of the United States. It has good frost resistance, loves an increased amount of sunlight. The flowering period falls on May. In decorative culture, it is extremely rare.

The tree grows 20-25 m in height. It has an ovoid or rounded crown, brownish shoots, dark red bark.

It got its name because of the structure of the leaves, which are sickle-shaped at the edges. The leaves reach a length of up to 20 cm, a width of up to 12 cm, wedge-shaped at the base and with a sharp apex.

Acorns are collected in groups, have sharp tips.

Widely distributed in the southern and central regions of the United States. It withstands frosts down to -30 ° C, which is why it is actively grown in northern countries to decorate parks and alleys. It grows up to 30 m in height, has a dense spherical crown.

Old branches are gray, young shoots are greenish-gray with fine whitish pubescence. The size of the leaves is the same as that of the crescent oak. They have an obovate structure, lyre-shaped, lobed at the edges.

Important! When growing lyre-shaped oak for decorative purposes, winterization is not required. In addition, the composition of the soil also does not matter much.

The flowering period of the lyre-shaped oak coincides with the moment of leaf blooming (April - May). The fruits fully ripen only in September. The plant prefers moist soils and well-lit areas.

In the northern regions of the USA and Canada, the velvety oak does not reach a height of more than 25 m, but in the southern regions the plant looks more powerful and reaches an average height of 42 m. The bark is bored, yellow inside, dark brown or black outside.

The leaves have an obovate structure, no more than 18 cm long. The crown is broadly pyramidal, moderately dense. Acorns are not more than once every 2 years.

Indigenous peoples of North America have long used velvety oak bark to treat the following ailments:

  • dysentery;
  • fever;
  • ulcerative lesions of the oral cavity;
  • pathologies of the digestive system.

In addition, the bark of this plant species has an increased amount of tannins, which is why it is actively used as a tool for tanning leather.

Oak species of Russia, East Asia, Caucasus, Siberia and Crimea

Most often on the territory of Russia, Ukraine, the Caucasus and East Asia, you can find English oak. It has recently been introduced to North America as well. But in addition to the pedunculate oak, Eastern Europe and the Caucasus are rich in other varieties of plants from this genus.

This beautiful plant got its name because of the country in which it was first described. Today, this type of oak is practically not found in Mongolia. However, it is widely distributed in China, Japan, Korea, and eastern Russia. It grows mainly in mountainous rocky forests, where it quickly forms soil under itself.
In the wild, under favorable conditions, it reaches a height of 30 m. The Mongolian oak grows very slowly, which is largely due to the climate in its habitat. It tolerates severe frosts and gusty winds well, but seeks to receive a large amount of sunlight.

This plant is sometimes shrub-shaped with dark brown shoots. Its leaves are dense, obovate, with 7-12 lobes.

This type of deciduous tree reaches a height of no more than 20 meters. Distributed in the Caucasus, Turkey, Iran, Syria and some other Asian countries. Forms forests on the southern slopes of the mountains at an altitude of 800 meters or more. Differs in the increased drought resistance.

Did you know? The Slavs dedicated an oak tree to the pagan god Perun. Because of this, in Russia the oak was called Perun's tree.

Large anthered oak has a thick cracking bark, dense grayish-yellow pubescence is visible on the shoots. The leaves are dense, obovate structure, up to 18 cm long. At the base they are wedge-shaped, on the sides they have large-toothed lobes.

Widely distributed in Ukraine, the North Caucasus and southern Central Asia. One of the few types of oak that prefers shady places, but at the same time remains drought-resistant. In the wild, it grows in deciduous forests of mountainous regions.

General characteristics of chestnut oak:

  • good frost resistance;
  • average life expectancy is 350 years;
  • unpretentiousness to the soil composition;
  • not susceptible to powdery mildew.

The height of this tree reaches 45 meters, while the diameter of the trunk at the foot, on average, is 1.6 meters. It has a tent-shaped crown and grayish thick bark. The leaves are very similar to the leaves of the sowing chestnut.
They have an oblong-elliptical structure with triangular sharp teeth along the edges. The length of the foliage varies from 10 to 18 cm, the width is from 7 to 11 cm. The color in summer is dark green, in autumn it is brownish-red.

One of the best known species of this genus. It occurs almost throughout Europe, as well as in Western Asia and North Africa (Algeria, Tunisia). Demanding on the composition of the soil (prefers chernozem and forest loam).

The plant is quite thermophilic, does not tolerate late spring frosts in the northern regions of Europe, which sometimes freezes slightly (small trees can freeze completely). It grows in deciduous and coniferous forests, along ravines, gullies, river banks. It occurs in the mountain deciduous forests of the Carpathians.

The pedunculate oak is a very powerful and strong tree that grows up to 40 m in height. Its life expectancy depends on climatic and soil conditions (some representatives live up to 600 years or more).

Growth in height continues until about 200 years of age, the width of the trunk grows throughout life. The root system consists of one powerful long rod and 6-8 main lateral roots. The crown is tent-like, asymmetric, spreading.
The leaves are oblong, heart-shaped, pinnately lobed, up to 15 cm long and 7-9 cm wide.

The most widely distributed in the Crimea and Asia Minor. It grows on rocks containing lime, in deciduous forests and on the southern slopes of mountains.

The plant is light-loving, while it tolerates prolonged drought and severe frosts.

A relatively low tree when compared with other members of the genus (up to 18 m). The crown is wide, moderately dense.

On the shoots there is a dense fine pubescence. Fluffy oak is often found as a shrub, especially in the mountainous regions of the Crimea.

The leaves are very variable in shape and reach a length of no more than 10 cm.

It is found in the southern regions of Russia, in China and Korea. It is included in the Red Book of the Sakhalin Region and Primorsky Territory. Protected due to the threat of extinction since 1978.

The plant has a high decorative value and is found in 14 different botanical gardens in Russia.

Toothed oak is undersized (from 5 to 8 meters in height), while its trunk diameter does not exceed 30 cm.

Important! Due to massive deforestation and frequent fires, the scalloped oak was on the verge of extinction, which is why it was included in the Red Book of Russia. Special rules have been introduced to protect the species and increase the number of plants in certain regions.

The tree is fast growing, has ribbed shoots with dense yellow pubescence. The leaves are dense, narrowed at the base, 8-13 lobes on the sides.

The flowering period begins in May-June, while the fruits ripen in September-October.

In its natural habitat it is found in the Caucasus and the north-eastern part of Turkey. In most cases, it forms a shrub with a very wide crown.

In the form of a tree, it does not reach a height of more than 6 meters. At the same time, it has large obovate leaves up to 25 cm long and 13 cm wide.

Did you know? Statistics say that only one acorn out of ten thousand sprouts and becomes a full-fledged tree.

The Pontic oak, due to its small height, is a very valuable specimen in the decorative arts.

It is often planted for landscaping parks, alleys, private gardens. In general, the Pontic oak is quite frost-resistant (withstands frosts down to -29 ° C), however, young shoots can freeze slightly even in the southern regions of the middle zone.

Since there are more than two hundred different types of oak in nature, sometimes the process of identifying a particular variety can confuse you. To reliably determine the species, you should use our step-by-step instructions:

  1. According to one of the classifications, all representatives of the genus are divided into two categories: white and red oaks.. Defining a category will immediately reduce the number of possible options by at least one and a half times. White oak has rounded leaf tips, red oak has sharp ones.
  2. D Next, you should select all possible options, relying on your geographical location. For example, you are unlikely to find a lyre-shaped oak in central Russia, since it is often found only in North America. To select all possible options, you should use the directory.
  3. Collect a few leaves and count the average number of shares.
  4. Examine the shape and length of the depressions between the leaf lobes.
  5. See how the color of the leaves changes in autumn. Some varieties of oak change color to golden, some to red, and evergreens do not change color at all for 2-3 years.
  6. Measure the average length of the leaves, while taking a sample of at least 10 copies. For different species of the genus, the average leaf length will be different.

Now you know which types of oak are the most common in a particular geographic region and how to distinguish between their varieties. The information given in this article will be useful to any forester, botanist and ordinary person who loves walking in nature.

When planting oak in a park or on the outskirts of alleys, one should take into account the geographical features of the region, since each plant variety has its own individual characteristics (requirements for soil composition, frost resistance and drought resistance, lighting requirements, etc.).

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