They are from oak. Big oak - a symbol of longevity

Quercus) is a genus of shrubs and trees from the beech family. The oak tree is widely renowned for its power and strength, and can reach a height of 50 meters. These trees grow rather slowly, first adding centimeters in height every year, and only then in width.

How long does an oak tree live?

The oak tree is considered a long-liver and is often associated with wisdom and durability. And for good reason. The lifespan of oak is up to 5 centuries, although in history there are specimens that live more than 1000 years.

Description of oak. What does oak look like?

Oak is a deciduous tree. The size of the oak tree is impressive. Average height it is about 35 meters, although sometimes 60 meter giants are found. The thickness of oak can also be quite impressive. The oak trunk is on average about 1.5 m in diameter, covered with dark bark, dotted with cracks, twisting and wrinkled.

The shape of the tree's leaf depends on the type of oak. Oak leaves can be lobed, serrated, pinnate, and others. Oak branches are indirect, curved. This tortuosity is explained by the fact that the oak tree is very responsive to sun rays. As shoots grow, they are drawn towards the light and therefore change direction depending on the period of the year, weather and time of day.

The oak root system is very well developed. Typically, oak roots are huge and go deep into the ground. The oak crown and its shape largely depend on the conditions in which the trees grow. In forests, oak trunks are mostly straight and even, while separately growing plants on the plains spread out very widely. The girth of the crowns of such oak trees is measured in meters. If a tree grew in extreme conditions, for example, with a lack of moisture or under frequent exposure to wind, the crowns of such oaks are deformed and not entirely clear and regular in shape.

Oak flowers

Oak blooms in late spring. Oak flowers are small and green, invisible among the foliage. Male flowers consist only of stamens, female flowers - of a pistil. Male flowers are collected in inflorescences that look like earrings. The female ones are on short stems; they look like green seeds with a red tip. It is from the female oak flowers that acorns grow.

Types of oak

Growing all over the world large number types of oaks. In total there are about 600 of them, although there is evidence that there are no more than 450 of them.

The most popular types of oaks:

English oak;
Weeping oak;
Swamp oak;
Sessile oak;
Georgian oak;
Long-legged oak;
Mongolian oak;
Chestnut oak.

Where does oak grow?

Most often, oak is found in regions with temperate climate, in the Northern Hemisphere. Although some species of these giants are also found in the tropics, however, only in those places where the air temperature is not very high, mainly in high mountain regions.

Oak trees grow well in rich soils and love intermediate level humidity, but species are known that exist well in swamps, or, conversely, in conditions of lack of moisture.

How to grow an oak tree from an acorn

Oak trees bear fruit starting 30 years after planting. Oak fruits are acorns. Decorative types oaks are quite easily propagated by grafting. The best option for planting an oak tree is in the fall, before the first snow and frost. However, during this period, oak acorns can be eaten by small rodents, so they are often saved until spring and planted when warm days. For planting, you must definitely choose live oak seeds, which consist of yellow cotyledons with a yellow or reddish embryo inside.

How to plant an oak?

An option for planting an oak tree is also to collect sprouting acorns in a park or forest early spring immediately after the snow melts. Such seeds with sprouts can be immediately planted in the ground, taking care that the fragile and not yet strong sprouts do not dry out or break off. Oak seedlings must be protected from weeds and do not forget to water during drought.

The healing properties of oak

The use of oak is quite wide. Oak fruits, oak bark and branches are often used in medicinal purposes. In addition, oak wood, which has a luxurious texture, is highly valued.

Oak bark - medicinal properties

Oak bark, which is used in medicine, is very useful. Oak bark is used to relieve inflammation and is an effective wound healing and astringent. A decoction of oak bark treats stomach diseases, allergies, diseases of the skin, throat, mucous membranes, and is good for gums. Oak acorns also have beneficial properties, they help with diarrhea, stomach bleeding, hernia treatment, burns, skin problems.

Oak bark is collected in the spring for medicinal purposes. The raw materials from young branches and trunks are most valued. After collection, the bark must be dried, but not for long - 2-4 days. For long-term storage, this process must be increased until the bark becomes brittle.

How long does an oak tree live?

Description of oak. What does oak look like?

Oak is a deciduous tree. The size of the oak tree is impressive. Its average height is about 35 meters, although 60-meter giants are sometimes found. The thickness of oak can also be quite impressive. The oak trunk is on average about 1.5 m in diameter, covered with dark bark, dotted with cracks, twisting and wrinkled.

The shape of the tree's leaf depends on the type of oak. Oak leaves can be lobed, serrated, pinnate, and others. Oak branches are indirect, curved. This tortuosity is explained by the fact that the oak tree is very responsive to the sun's rays. As shoots grow, they are drawn towards the light and therefore change direction depending on the period of the year, weather and time of day.

The oak root system is very well developed. Typically, oak roots are huge and go deep into the ground. The oak crown and its shape largely depend on the conditions in which the trees grow. In forests, oak trunks are mostly straight and even, while separately growing plants on the plains spread out very widely. The girth of the crowns of such oak trees is measured in meters. If a tree has grown in extreme conditions, for example, with a lack of moisture or under frequent exposure to wind, then the crowns of such oaks are deformed and not entirely clear and regular in shape.

Oak flowers

Types of oak

There are a large number of oak species growing around the world. In total there are about 600 of them, although there is evidence that there are no more than 450 of them.

The most popular types of oaks:

English oak;
Weeping oak;
Swamp oak;
Sessile oak;
Georgian oak;
Long-legged oak;
Mongolian oak;
Chestnut oak.

Where does oak grow?

Most often, oak is found in regions with a temperate climate, in the Northern Hemisphere. Although some species of these giants are also found in the tropics, however, only in those places where the air temperature is not very high, mainly in high mountain regions.

Oaks grow well in rich soils and like average humidity levels, but there are species that thrive in swamps, or, conversely, in conditions of lack of moisture.

How to grow an oak tree from an acorn

Oak trees bear fruit starting 30 years after planting. Oak fruits are acorns. Decorative oak species are quite easily propagated by grafting. The best option for planting an oak tree is in the fall, before the first snow and frost. However, during this period, oak acorns can be eaten by small rodents, so they are often stored until spring and planted with the onset of warm days. For planting, you must definitely choose live oak seeds, which consist of yellow cotyledons with a yellow or reddish embryo inside.

How to plant an oak?

An option for planting an oak tree is also to collect sprouting acorns in a park or forest in early spring, immediately after the snow melts. Such seeds with sprouts can be immediately planted in the ground, taking care that the fragile and not yet strong sprouts do not dry out or break off. Oak seedlings must be protected from weeds and do not forget to water during drought.

The healing properties of oak

The use of oak is quite wide. Oak fruits, bark and oak branches are often used for medicinal purposes. In addition, oak wood, which has a luxurious texture, is highly valued.

Oak bark - medicinal properties

Description of oak artistic style or scientific you can write using the options presented.

Essay describing oak

Our ancestors also considered oak a symbol of power and strength. And its strong trunks served as a reliable material in construction. Today you can often hear how men are compared to this strong tree.

As you pass by, look at the edge, there a majestic oak tree stretches out its broad shoulders. It is the largest in the entire oak forest. This is the image that is sung in folk songs and described in legends.

Oak - majestic tree. Probably, many years ago, some squirrel lost an acorn in this place. And now his powerful hands are reaching out to the sun. Green leaves shimmer in the rays of warm light. And the thick trunk holds the branches tightly and no wind is afraid of them. Forest dwellers love oak because it protects them, gives them shelter and delicious treats in the form of acorns. The oak fruit has quite interesting shape in the form of a teardrop with a brown hat.

The mighty giant is not afraid of anything: neither pests nor lumberjacks. He will always find the strength to be reborn even from a stump.
But it is worth remembering that trees are our oxygen. Therefore, it is extremely stupid to neglect our mother nature.

Scientific description of oak

The shape of the tree's leaf depends on the type of oak. Oak leaves can be lobed, serrated, pinnate, and others. Oak branches are indirect, curved. This tortuosity is explained by the fact that the oak tree is very responsive to the sun's rays. As shoots grow, they are drawn towards the light and therefore change direction depending on the period of the year, weather and time of day.

The oak crown and its shape largely depend on the conditions in which the trees grow. In forests, oak trunks are mostly straight and even, while separately growing plants on the plains spread out very widely. The girth of the crowns of such oak trees is measured in meters. If a tree has grown in extreme conditions, for example, with a lack of moisture or under frequent exposure to wind, then the crowns of such oaks are deformed and not entirely clear and regular in shape.

(1-1.5 m in diameter).

Particularly prized is “bog oak” - tree trunks that have lain at the bottom of lakes or rivers for many years. This wood acquires extraordinary strength and an almost black color.

Oak provides excellent fuel.

Common oak is a spring pollen bearer. Bees collect a lot of highly nutritious pollen on it, and in some years they collect nectar from female flowers. But honeydew and honeydew often appear on oak trees. In places where oak occupies large tracts, bees collect a lot of honeydew and honeydew, from which they produce honey that is unsuitable for winter consumption. To avoid mass death of bees during wintering, such honey is pumped out.

Oak brooms in a Russian bathhouse will not be inferior to birch brooms, or even surpass them.

Often livestock graze in oak plantations, which causes great damage to the normal growth and development of young plants.

In medicine

In scientific medicine, they use oak bark - Cortex Quercus, which, in addition to tannins, contains ellagic and gallic acids, the carbohydrate levulin, mucus, sugar, starch, proteins, and minerals. It has astringent and anti-inflammatory properties. A decoction of the bark is used for rinsing for gingivitis, stomatitis, tonsillitis and inflammation of the mucous membrane of the pharynx and larynx, as well as for the treatment of burns and poisoning with alkaloids and heavy metal salts.

IN folk medicine oak bark is used to treat boils on the neck, to stop bleeding from a wound; Internally, a decoction of oak bark is used for stomach ulcers, bleeding from the stomach, excessive menstrual bleeding, diarrhea and frequent urge to urinate. In the form of baths, oak bark is used for excessive sweating of the feet. It is also used to treat rickets, scrofula, etc. Dried oak seeds, crushed into powder, are used for bladder disease and diarrhea. Oak fruits (acorns) contain starch (20-50%), tannins, fats, sugar, proteins, and essential oil. A coffee surrogate is made from acorns, which is not only nutritious, but also remedy for gastrointestinal diseases, rickets, anemia and scrofula in children. It is also useful for nervous patients and for excessive menstrual bleeding.

In veterinary medicine, oak bark is widely used as a remedy for stomach disorders.

In green building and ornamental gardening

Common oak is used in green construction as an ornamental and phytoncidal plant when creating suburban groves, alleys, curtains, single plantings in parks and forest parks. The following decorative forms of common oak are known: with a pyramidal crown and a shape in which the foliage falls 15-20 days later than that of an ordinary oak.

Common oak is recommended as the main species in forest reclamation plantations, in shelterbelts, in anti-erosion plantings along gullies and ravines, and on washed away soils. It can be planted along irrigation canals, since its root system does not drain the canal walls and does not destroy their covering.

Garden forms and cultivars

Collection, processing and storage

Common oak bark for medicinal purposes is harvested mainly during sap flow (April - May), removing it from young branches and thin trunks (up to 10 cm in diameter) in logging sites or thinnings. To remove the bark, ring-shaped cuts are made every 30 cm, which are connected with longitudinal cuts, after which the bark is easily removed. Dry under a canopy with good ventilation. The yield of dry raw materials is 40-50%. Dry bark is packed into bales weighing 100 kg. Store in a dry, well-ventilated area. Shelf life is five years.

Oak fruits (acorns) are collected in the fall under the trees after they have fallen. Dry in attics under an iron roof or under sheds with good ventilation, spreading in one layer on paper or fabric and stirring occasionally. They are dried in ovens, ovens or dryers. Acorns are cleaned of leathery fertilization and seed coat. The raw material consists of individual cotyledons. It is packed in 60 kg bags. Store in dry, well-ventilated areas. The shelf life has not been established.

The raw materials for obtaining tanning extracts from oak wood are hemp, roots, as well as waste from logging and wood processing industries in the form of logs with or without bark. For tanning hides, oak bark is harvested from young trees (up to 20 years of age). Older trees develop a crust that is completely unsuitable and even harmful when used for tanning. Bark can be harvested at any time of the year, but it is better during the period of sap flow (April - May) during the main fellings and thinnings. The bark removed from the trunks and branches is dried under a canopy with good ventilation. Relative humidity dry bark should not exceed 16%.

Literature

Ukrainian Elin Yu. Ya., Zerova M. Ya., Lushpa V.I., Shabarova S.I. Dari lesiv. - K.: “Harvest”, 1979

General description
Botanical classification
Habitat
Useful properties
Main types of mighty oaks
Oaks of Russia
American oak genus
Europe and Mediterranean

Oak family according to data different sources reaches 450...600 species. Representatives are growing in different corners planets in temperate latitudes, where the climate suits the needs of the tree.

Russia is one of the most favorable countries for oak growth: territories with nutritious soil, open areas without shade, sufficient rainfall and optimal temperature conditions for the plant.

General description

Regardless of the type and variety of wood, oak has common distinctive features, by which membership in the genus is determined:

The height of the individual is from 25 to 40 meters;
Spreading deciduous or evergreen crown;
The leaves of oaks of different varieties are lobed or serrated with pinnate venation;
The bark is rough, with age-related cracks;
The trunk in young individuals is thin, in older ones it is noticeably thickened and massive.

Many species bloom at the same time the leaves bloom. Female and male flowers are on the same tree:

The female ones are located in the leaf axils at the tops of young shoots (as in the photo). Perianth in 3 sections, poorly developed;

Male flowers are collected in earrings at the base of the shoots. The perianth is divided into 5-7 sections, up to 12 stamens.

Pollination occurs in the usual ways: by wind or insects.

The fruit of the oak tree is an acorn, ripens in the fall, and after wintering a new tree begins to grow. At the base there is always a hard, flattened cap, by which one can always determine whether it belongs to the oak family. The shape of the fruit is elongated or spherical, from golden to brown in color, depending on the type of plant and its place of growth.

Oak is propagated by cuttings, planting acorns; resumption of growth can occur from a living stump.

Botanical classification

Regardless of the variety, scientific classification sort looks like this:

English oak occupies the conventional place of the end of the logical chain; in its place you can safely put the remaining types of wood.

Habitat

Oak is common in temperate climates and naturally grows in different countries:

In Russia ( Far East, Siberia, Central Asia, Vladikavkaz);
In Western and Southern Europe;
In Canada;

By artificial means different types were transferred to all corners of the world with a climate suitable for oak.

Useful properties

Many types oak trees used in construction, medicine, furniture and cooperage industries:

Wood has high strength and resistance to various types of influences;
Products are durable;
The bark and wood contain a lot of tannins that help stop the blood and tone the muscles and cells.

There is a classification of oak wood for the production of finishing or manufacturing products. Sorting is done according to many criteria:

Size of the original trunk;
Evenness and uniformity of the material;
Age of the tree;
Chemical and mechanical properties based on test results.

Main types of mighty oaks

The genus includes up to five thousand (or maybe more) varieties of this tree, known to everyone.

Oaks of Russia

Petiolate ( Quercus robur) is a traditional representative for Russia and Western European countries.

Distinctive features:

Resistance to large temperature changes;
Tolerance to prolonged drought;
Wind resistant.

Prefers good fertile soil. In field conditions, the plant reaches 50 meters in height. In group plantings, individuals are lower, the crowns are located in the upper part of the trunk, which ensures high light-loving properties. The leaves are large - up to 15 cm in length. English oak is considered a long-liver - the age of individual individuals is 1500 years at average duration life 300-500 years.

Chestnut-leaved oak is a rare representative of the genus, listed in the Red Book. It was actively felled for use for construction purposes - its wood is highly frost-resistant and hard. The trunk can stretch up to 30 meters, the crown has the shape of a tent. The leaves, with pointed triangular edges, are similar to the foliage from which the species takes its name.

In Russia, the chestnut-leaved plant is found in wide deciduous forests and in artificial park areas. Active work is underway to restore the population of this species.

Large anther oak grows in the southern mountainous regions of the Caucasus. Artificially planted in park areas.

Distinctive features:

Short leaf (up to 8 cm) with blunt blades;
Photophilia;
Slow growth;
Resistance to drought and frost.

Mongolian oak has an attractive decorative appearance, for which landscape designers love him. In Russia, the tree is planted in alleys as an array or tapeworm on plots of land.

The leaves of the representative are elongated, reaching 20 cm. In summer, their color is dark green, at the beginning of falling - bright brown. The tree grows well in light partial shade.

Gartvis oak (Armenian) begins its genus in the Western Caucasus. The leaves are obovate, with up to 12 rounded pairs. Acorns form and develop on long stalks. Due to the peculiarities of their origin, they like moderate shade, humidity, warm temperatures, fertile soil. It does not tolerate winter well, so it cannot grow in colder regions.

American oak genus

The following plant varieties originate on the American continent:

Red is a bright powerful tree up to 30 (sometimes 50) meters high. The trunk diameter reaches 1 meter. Distinctive feature– specific color of the leaves: after blooming they have a reddish base, in summer they are bright green, in autumn they acquire a crimson or bright brown tint. In other characteristics, the tree is similar to the Russian petiolate representative of the genus.

Its bright color has made it a popular decoration for urban landscapes - the tree is artificially grown in different parts of the world.

Northern (boreal) native to North America, looks like red. Egg-shaped crown and leaves. The trunk differs from other representatives in its smoothness - it is less susceptible to coarsening and cracking.

The leaf reaches 25 cm in length and turns bright red in autumn.

The tree is common in European countries and grows in forests and parks.

The stone evergreen giant is like a classic from the movies - a wide spreading crown with sparse branches, a large diameter trunk with gray bark and deep cracks.

The leaves of holm oaks are small - up to 8 cm. They are distinguished by a yellowish or white base, sometimes with hairiness.

The tree is unpretentious to living conditions: it grows on any soil under any light conditions. Suitable for floral decoration.

The genus of holm oak includes several decorative subspecies: curly, small- and round-leaved, long-leaved, narrow-leaved, golden-variegated, Ford's form.

Large-fruited oak is distinguished by the presence of enlarged acorns - up to 5 cm in length. The plus occupies about half the length of the fetus. The peduncle is short.

The tree has interesting leaves: elongated with a wedge-shaped base, up to 5 pairs of lobes. When they bloom, they have a silvery color with a sputtering effect, then they turn richly green, acquire shine, and the lower plane turns slightly white.

The tree loves moisture, so it grows in rainy areas or near water bodies.

Willow can be confused with willow due to the similar leaf shape - narrow, oblong, up to 12 cm in length. Crown in autumn period acquires a matte yellow color.

Unlike willow, willow oak is unpretentious to the soil and place of growth: it lives in deciduous forests and looks good in artificial parklands.

Europe and Mediterranean

– evergreen tree up to 20 meters in height. Small oval leaves up to 6 cm in length with a shiny surface and a pubescent base. The acorns are small, deeply recessed into the plus.

The cork plant loves moisture, but is resistant to drought and grows slowly. It is planted in alleys and squares.

It is a valuable cork plant native to the Mediterranean.

The rocky (sessile-flowered) species is widely used as the main plant in forests and parks. The leaf has a long two-centimeter petiole, while female acorns and flowers have a short stalk.

The tree loves warmth, shade, and moderate humidity. The genus originates in Eastern Europe: in the Carpathians, Moldova, Ukraine, slightly distributed in Western Europe.

A fluffy oak tree often resembles a bush up to 10 meters high (as in the photo). Its leaves, flowers, shoots and acorns have felt pubescence, the fruits are deeply recessed into the plus. It grows on calcareous and dry soils in natural conditions; it is difficult to cultivate (almost never occurs). At the same time, the crown is trimmed and shaped, serving as an excellent background for a higher composition.