It is known as a shade tree for its leafy and evergreen nature. It is called holm oak, but its scientific name is Quercus ilex. It belongs to the Fagáceas family and is also known as chapala or chaparro. It is an evergreen, medium-sized or shrubby tree native to the Mediterranean region that adapts to the characteristics of rainfall or where it grows. The holm oak curiosities They are quite attractive and deserve to be known.
Therefore, in this article we will tell you about the main curiosities of holm oak, its characteristics and much more.
main Features
It is wide and round. It reaches an altitude of 16 to 25 meters and can live for many years. Its trunk is wide and hard, and the bark cracks, forming small gray spots. Its leaves last 3 to 4 years. They are small and sturdy, with apex-like edges. They are bright green above and gray below.
The inconspicuous flowers are pendulous, collected in spikes, first yellow, then orange and finally brown. Although they are distributed throughout the glass, they prefer the lower part.
Habitat and fruit of the holm oak
Holm oak is a typical tree species of the Mediterranean, the Iberian Peninsula, Spain and France. It forms dense forests in coastal areas. It is a drought-tolerant, yet hardy species.
The fruit of the holm oak is the popular acorn, which is green in color, turning dark brown when ripe, and forms a shell or mantle formed of very dense intertwined leaflets 1/3 of its size.
The acorns ripen from October to November, sometimes in December. Starts producing at age 15 or 20. Some acorns were used as food for people and as food for cattle and pigs. Its flowering period extends from April to May and its fruits extend from October to November.
reproduction and diseases
Holm oak propagates well by seeds, sown with acorns, and also reproduces by roots and vines. It is suitable for all types of soil. Millions of oak trees are born and die each year. The main cause is desiccation, characterized by yellowing of dead leaves, death of branches, loss of branches or suckers, root rot and plant death.
Some species of fungi are also involved in this process, for example: the root rot diploids, Hypoxylum mediterraneum and Phytophthora cinnamon. Holm oaks are also attacked by the predatory moth Tortrix viridana, which destroys the shoots of the plant and is common in the Iberian Peninsula. Similarly, beetles damage oak trees by parasitizing the plants with larvae that burrow into the trunk because their food is wood.
Apps
- Food: the fruit of the holm oak is used as animal feed. For example, in Spain, pigs feed on acorns, which produces good quality legs. People eat it by roasting it like any other dried fruit. They also grind it and its flour is used to make bread.
- Wood: oak wood is very popular. Although the wood is difficult to work with due to its hardness, this same quality makes it useful when working with items subject to high friction (e.g. wheelbarrows, plows, flooring, tool handles), also in small hydraulic structures and in the form of columns or beams, because it does not rot easily.
- Gas: Until the beginning of the 20th century, one of the main household fuels in many parts of Europe was firewood and coal. It is an excellent wood for burning and making charcoal because it makes a big fire and is very hot.
- Other uses: The bark of the oak tree contains an organic substance called tannin, which is used to turn raw hides into leather, which is why tanners enjoy tanning leather. Also, tannic acid, leaves and acorns were ground to make a potion, which served as an astringent and was widely used to disinfect wounds.
holm oak curiosities
In ancient times, many cities revered the oak tree as a sacred tree. It represents strength, firmness and old age. In the story, it is said that the mace of Hercules was made of oak, like the cross on which Christ died. Abraham received a revelation from God near an oak tree. Likewise, the tree was dedicated to worship in Celtic mythology. There, priests knowing prophecy and healing who channeled great energies met.
It also appears heavily in popular slang, an example of which is the riddle referring to it, which reads: “I was born a woman, I was a man when I was young, and by my luck, I became a woman again.”
The curiosities of the oak are numerous. It lives best in Mediterranean climates, produces the popular sweet acorns, and belongs to the Fagaceae family.
Here are the main curiosities of the holm oak:
- Its bark is rich in tannins and is still used today to tan leather.
- Its very hard wood is traditionally used to make agricultural tools.
- The same wood, due to its high calorific value, is a very good fuel and is highly valued in the manufacture of charcoal.
- Its wood is also used for smoking sausages, making wagon wheels or building stairs.
- As a medicine, due to the strong astringency of the bark, it can be used to treat hemorrhoids, chronic diarrhea, dysentery, etc.
- Its seeds are eaten as food, but they must be cooked several times due to their high tannin content, they are quite astringent, it is therefore advisable not to overeat.
- These dried and ground seeds are used to make flour and mixed with other grains to make bread.
- Toasts served as coffee.
- The most common use for acorns is to feed livestock, especially pigs.
- Its flowers are unisexual (some male and some female). Males appear as yellowish, dense, hanging catkins. Female flowers solitary or in pairs on pubescent pedicels.
- Holm oaks begin to produce abundant acorns when they are 8 or 10 years old… They can produce up to 100.
- In temperate climates they produce heavy regular crops over time, while in tall grass forests they usually produce large annual fruits every 2 or 3 years.
- The fruits (acorns) of the holm oak are essential for wildlife and grazing pigs.
- The largest extension of holm oak is equivalent to Spanish territory, with more than 3,400,000 hectares.
- In addition, these holm oak groves have proven to be an excellent habitat for Mediterranean fauna, making them ideal hunting grounds, almost always regulated or protected by law.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the curiosities of the holm oak.