160 Weird Facts About Oak Tree

160 Weird Facts About Oak Tree

Acorns are also called "oaknuts"
Acorns fall from oak trees, not from acorn trees.
An oak tree lifespan can be up to 1,000 years.
In its lifetime an oak tree goes through many changes.
Each oak tree begins its life as an acorn.
There are about 600 existing species of oak trees.
It is thought to be nearly 2,000 years old.
The leaves of all varieties of oak trees have short stalks.
Oak tree leaves are arranged in spirals.
Oak tree flowers are called catkins.
The oak tree fruit is called an acorn.
The oak fruit is not a fruit, but is actually a nut.
The oak flower is yellow or white in color.
The ink from oak trees is called oak gall ink.
The leaves of the northern red oak are a unique bright red color.
White oak trees have leaves that are white on the underside.
The bur oak tree is also known as the mossy-cup oak.
Oak belongs to the genus Quercus of the beech, or Fagaceae, family.
There are approximately 600 extant species of oaks.
Oak trees are native to the Northern hemisphere.
In some cultures, because an acorn is a "baby tree," it is believed that wearing one around your neck will prevent premature aging.
The oak tree is estimated to have been on the planet for around 65 million years.
The oak is the national tree of the United States. It was voted the US national tree in 2004.
Oak trees have taken over the forests of the northern hemisphere over thousands of years, because they are tough and their acorns are strong.
The habitat of an oak tree is either woodland or sometimes towns and gardens.
One of the most famous oak trees you can find is in the Sherwood Forest in England, which is over 800 years old.
It is the oldest known living tree in the east of North America.
The oak tree in the Sherwood Forest is believed to be located where Robin Hood was outlawed during the tale set in the 12th century.
In North America, there are about 90 species of oak trees. All oak trees have acorns.
An oak tree produces about 10 million acorns during its lifetime.
In Harper Lee’s iconic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the oak tree outside of Boo Radley’s house is a symbol for friendship and the way kindness can thrive despite difficult circumstances.
The National Geographic Society designated The Emancipation Oak in Virginia as one of the most important trees in the world. In the 1860s, Mary Smith Peake broke the law when she taught African American adults and children how to read under the oaks’ branches.
The national tree of America is the oak tree.
Oak in India is found in the Himalayan regions, there are 16 different species of oaks there.
On average, oak trees live about 200 years, but some can live over 1,000 years.
The Pechanga Great Oak Tree is the oldest oak tree in the United States and maybe even in the world.
In spring, a single oak tree produces both male flowers (in the form of catkins) and small coon flowers (female flowers). Oak trees have male flowers on one part of their branch, and female flowers on another part of the same branch.
The fruit is a nut called an acorn, borne in a cup-like structure. Production of acorns starts at the age of 20 to 50 years. Each acorn contains one seed (rarely two or three) and takes 6–24 months to mature, depending on their species.
One oak produces more than 2000 acorns every year, but only one in 10 000 acorns will manage to develop into oak tree.
Wildlife that consume acorns as part of their diets includes jays, pigeons, duck, pigs, bears, deer, squirrels, mice …
According to Norse legend, the god Thor took shelter under an oak tree, which has led to the belief that an acorn on a windowsill will protect against lightning strikes.
Because of their strength, oak trees are symbols of truth, loyalty, and wisdom
Acorns are nutritious and contain large amounts of protein, carbs, fats, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and niacin.
Because acorns are rich in fat, acorn flour can spoil or get moldy quickly.
Because acorns only ripen on adult oak trees, they are often a symbol of patience and endurance.
Koreans make edible acorn jelly called dotorimuk.
Druids ate acorns, believing that they had prophetic qualities. In fact, the word "druid" comes from the Celtic word for acorn.
There are nearly 600 species of oak trees. They all fall into two categories: white oaks or red oaks. White oaks have rounded lobe leaves, while red oaks have pointed lobe leaves.
Oak trees can either be deciduous or evergreen. Oak trees are more often evergreens in warmer climates with mild winters.
A lot of animals (pigeons, duck, pigs, deer, squirrels, mice…) feed on acorns.
Young acorns, leaves and buds contain tannic acid which induces toxic effects in cattle. Tannic acid may induce formation of ulcers in the stomach, damage in kidneys and result in malformation in the newly born cattle.
Wood of oak is very strong and hard. It is used in the manufacture of ships, furniture, floorings and Yamaha drums.
Oak is also used in the manufacture of barrels for storing of vine, whiskey, brandy and other liquors. Oak wood adds special aroma to these beverages.
Oak is national plant of many countries including USA, England, France, Germany, Latvia, Poland and Serbia. It symbolizes strength and endurance.
Oak is also used in army ranking. Silver leaf indicates Lt. Colonel while gold leaf indicates Lt. Commander.
Most oak trees will not be able to produce acorns properly until they get to about 50 years old.
After it gets to around 700 years old, an oak tree will reach its old age.
In their old age oak trees grow slowly and do not produce as many acorns as they once did.
At the ripe old age of 1,000 years old, oak trees are near to the end of their life.
The oak tree will start to die part by part after this age.
In a lifetime an oak tree can produce 10 million acorns.
Some acorns will rot and not become trees, but many of the acorns will grow into new oak trees.
An oak tree height can vary depending on its age.
Oak tree forests that are a few hundred years old can be up to 45 metres tall (or 148 feet).
In the Bible, the oak tree at Shechem is the site where Jacob buries the foreign gods of his people (Gen. 35:4). In addition, Joshua erects a stone under an oak tree as the first covenant of the Lord (Josh. 24.25–7). In Isaiah 61, the prophet refers to the Israelites as “Oaks of Righteousness.” Absalom’s long hair (2 Samuel 18:9) gets caught in an oak tree, and allows Joab to kill him.
The badnjak is central tradition in Serbian Orthodox Church Christmas celebration where young and straight oak, is ceremonially felled early on the morning of Christmas Eve. The badnjak is brought into the house and placed on the fire on the evening of Christmas Eve.
In Republican Rome a crown of oak leaves was given to those who had saved a life of a citizen in battle; it was called the “civic oak”
The Emancipation Oak is designated one of the 10 Great Trees of the World by the National Geographic Society and is part of the National Historic Landmark district of Hampton University.
Although it is rarely reached, the symbol of an 80th wedding anniversary is oak.
Oak trees are usually large in size. They can reach 70 feet in height and 9 feet in width. Their branches can reach 135 feet in length.
One of the biggest oaks is located in Goose Island State Park. This oak is 45 feet tall, 35 feet wide, with crown that has 90 feet in diameter.
Due to its large dimensions, oak requires large amount of water per day. It can absorb 50 gallons of water each day.
Oaks have leaves that can be lobed, serrated or flat on the edges. Certain species have leaves with bristles.
Oaks produce both male and female flowers. Male flowers are arranged in clusters called catkins. Female flowers are much smaller.
Fruit of the oak is called acorn. Production of acorns starts at the age of 20 to 50 years.
Oaks produce more than 2000 acorns every year, but only one in 10 000 acorns will manage to develop into oak tree.
One of the oldest Britain's coins (six pence) has an oak engraved on one of the surfaces.
Most species of oaks live over 200 years. There are certain trees that can survive over thousand years. Oak tree planted during the reign of King John managed to survive 800 years and reign of 35 other rulers.
An acorn only contains one seed, unlike other seed pods where there are lots of seeds inside.
When it becomes spring, the acorn will grow a shoot which sprouts through the ground to make the baby oak tree.
The shoot will push through any fallen leaves on the ground, and grow its first few leaves that can see the sun.
The sun will start the process of photosynthesis once a shoot forms, and the oak tree will become a seedling.
The width of the spread of an oak tree can be up to 45 metres in the biggest and oldest trees, which will be similar to its height.
You can tell an oak tree from other trees because it has round-lobed leaves that have a wobbly outer look.
Oak gall ink was used to create some of the most important documents in history, like the Magna Carta, Mozart's music and Newton's theories.
The oak tree also has many medical uses: the leaves, acorns and bark of the tree can be used to heal inflammation, kidney stones and diarrhoea.
Oak trees feed lots of different living creatures with their acorns and oak leaves.
Oak trees are one of the most widely spread and oldest trees on the entire planet.
Oak wood was used to build the homes of our earliest ancestors.
They also used oak wood to make ships and create tools.
We use oak trees often to make furniture and floors, and even wine barrels and cosmetic creams are made using oak wood.
One of the main reasons that oak trees have survived for so long is that their seeds (the fruit of the oak) are in very hard shells.
Acorns are also coated with tannic acid. This stops any insects or fungi from hurting them.
The oak tree meaning in many cultures is resistance, knowledge, strength and morale.
The oak scientific name comes from the Latin words for "oak," and "strength."
The male flowers of the oak plant are on catkins that hang low from the oak tree branches.
The female flowers of the oak tree are red and small and on short stalks.
The oak tree blossoms in spring.
Oak trees are found from cool temperate to tropical latitudes in the Americas, Asia, Europe, and North Africa.
Most species of oak trees are deciduous with only a few of evergreen forms.
The usual lifespan of an oak is about 200 years, but some live over 1,000 years.
The Pechanga Great Oak Tree, oldest oak tree in the United States, possibly in the world. It is estimated to be up to 2,000 years old.
Oak trees grow to an average height of about 15 to 21 meters (50 to 70 feet) and have a spread of as much as 15 meters (50 feet) from branch to branch when fully grown.
The white oak is the tallest oak species. The tallest known white oak is 44 meters (144 feet) tall. It is not unusual for a white oak tree to be as wide as it is tall.
Oaks have spirally arranged leaves, with lobate margins in many species; some have serrated leaves or entire leaf with smooth margins.
The leaves and acorns of the oak tree are poisonous to cattle, horses, sheep, and goats in large amounts due to the toxin tannic acid, and cause kidney damage and gastroenteritis.
Oaks are keystone species in a wide range of habitats from Mediterranean semi-desert to subtropical rainforest.
Many species of oaks are under threat of extinction in the wild, because of the habitat destruction, over exploitation, diseases and introduction of invasive species.
Oak wood has great strength and hardness. The wood is very resistant to insect and fungal attack because of its high tannin content. It is used in the manufacture of ships, furniture, floorings and Yamaha drums.
The oak is a common symbol of strength and endurance and has been chosen as the national tree of many countries. Oak is national tree of USA, Germany, Serbia, Cyprus, England, Estonia, France, Moldova, Romania, Jordan, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Wales and Bulgaria.
In Greek mythology, the oak is the tree sacred to Zeus, king of the gods.
Oaks are more likely to be struck by lightning than other trees. This enhances their significance for Druids who seek ‘arwen’ or inspiration which they believe can come through lightning. They call this ‘courting the flash’.
In Britain, an oak tree image is engraved in a six pence coin. It is one of the oldest Britain’s coins.
Oak branches are displayed on some German coins, both of the former Deutsche Mark and the current Euro currency.
The Royal Oak is the third most common pub name in Britain.
Most likely, oak trees evolved in North America, Europe, and Asia between 40 million and 60 million years ago.
On average, oak trees reach between 50–70 feet (15–21 meters) in height. They can have a spread nearly 150 feet (45 meters) from branch to branch.
During the tragic 2019 Notre Dame fire, the cathedral's oak frame was destroyed. The oak beams were made from trees cut down between 1160 and 1170 AD and form one of the oldest parts of the cathedral. The cathedral's structure contained about 13,000 trees in total.
Replacing Notre Dame's oak tree structure could be impossible
One oak tree produces nearly 2,000 acorns every year. However, only one in 10,000 acorns will become a full-grown oak tree .
In 2019, French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron gifted an oak "friendship tree" to Donald Trump; however, the tree died while in quarantine.
If eaten in large quantities, oak leaves and acorns are toxic to livestock, including cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. The tannic acid in the leaves and acorns can cause kidney damage and gastroenteritis. Only pigs seem to be immune.
Raw acorns contain tannins, which have a bitter taste and can be toxic to humans. However, leaching (soaking or boiling) the tannins makes the acorns safe to eat.
Acorns are an important part of many animals' diets, including birds, small mammals, and larger mammals such as pigs, bears, and deer.
Also barrels in which wines, sherry, and spirits such as brandy, Irish whiskey, Scotch whisky and Bourbon whiskey are aged are made from European and American oak. Oak barrels contribute to the color, taste, and aroma of the contents, imparting a desirable oaky vanillin flavour to these drinks. The use of oak in wine can add many different dimensions to wine based on the type and style of the oak.
A number of kinds of truffles, including the two well known varieties, the black Périgord truffle and the white Piedmont truffle, have symbiotic relationships with oak trees.

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