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 rainfall characteristics or the place where it grows. The holm oak curiosities They are quite attractive and worth knowing.
Therefore, in this article we are going to tell you about the main curiosities of the holm oak, its characteristics and much more.
Key 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 stout, with vertex-shaped edges. They are bright green above and gray below.
The inconspicuous flowers are pendulous, gathered in spikes, initially yellow, then orange, and finally brown. Although they are distributed throughout the glass, they prefer the bottom part.
Habitat and fruit of the Holm oak
The holm oak is a typical tree species of the Mediterranean, Iberian Peninsula, Spain and France. It forms dense forests in coastal areas. It is a drought tolerant species, but resistant.
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 by very dense intertwined leaflets 1/3 of its size.
The acorns ripen from October to November, sometimes in December. Begins to produce at 15 or 20 years. Some acorns were used as food for people and as sustenance for cattle and pigs. Its flowering period is from April to May, and its fruits extend between October and November.
reproduction and diseases
The holm oak propagates well by seed, sown with acorns, and also reproduces by roots and vines. It is suitable for all types of soil. Millions of oaks are born and die every year. The main cause is desiccation, characterized by yellowing of fallen leaves, death of branches, loss of branches or suckers, root rot and death of the plant.
Certain fungal species are also involved in this process, for example: root rot diploids, Hypoxylum mediterraneum and Phytophthora cinnamon. Holm oaks are also attacked by the predatory butterfly Tortrix viridana, which destroys the shoots of the plant and is common in the Iberian Peninsula. Likewise, longhorn beetles are damaging to oak trees by parasitizing the plants with larvae that bore into the trunk because their food is wood.
Uses
- Food: the fruit of the holm oak is used as cattle feed. For example, in Spain, pigs feed on acorns, so good quality legs are produced. 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 wood is difficult to work due to its hardness, this same quality makes it useful when working with elements subjected to a lot of friction (eg wheelbarrows, ploughs, parquet, tool handles), also in small hydraulic structures and as columns or beams, as it does not rot easily.
- Fuel: Until the beginning of the XNUMXth century, one of the main household fuels in many parts of Europe was firewood and coal. It is excellent wood to burn and make charcoal because it makes a big fire and is very hot.
- Other uses: The bark of the oak contains an organic substance called tannin, which is used to turn raw hides into leather, which is why tanners value leather tanning. Also, tannic acid, leaves and acorns were crushed to make a potion, which was used as an astringent and was widely used to disinfect wounds.
holm oak curiosities
In ancient times, many cities revered the oak as a sacred tree. It represents strength, firmness and old age. In history it is said that Hercules' mace 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 with knowledge of prophecy and healing that channeled great energies met.
It also appears heavily in popular slang, an example of which is the riddle that references it, which reads: "I was born a woman, was a man when I was young, and by my luck, I became a woman again."
The curiosities of the oak are many. It lives best in Mediterranean climates, produces the popular sweet acorns, and belongs to the Fagaceae family.
These are the main curiosities of the holm oak:
- Its bark is rich in tannins and is still used today to tan leather.
- Its wood, very hard, is traditionally used to make farm tools.
- The same wood, due to its important calorific value, is very good fuel and is highly appreciated in the manufacture of charcoal.
- Its wood is also used to smoke sausages, make wagon wheels or build 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, so it is advised 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 of acorns is to feed livestock, especially pigs.
- Its flowers are unisexual (some male and other female). Males appear in yellowish, dense, pendulous catkins. Female flowers solitary or in pairs on pubescent pedicels.
- Holm oaks begin to produce acorns in abundance at 8 or 10 years... They can produce up to 100.
- In temperate climates they produce abundant 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 to wildlife and pigs on pasture.
- 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, which makes 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.