Facts About Oak Trees

Since the distant past trees have been well-regarded by many religions across the world and have spawned many a mythic mind's eye. The oak tree too has a special mention in ancient religious history. It is found in many countries across Europe, through to Asia in the east and the Mediterranean in the south. In Roman mythology, the oak tree was hallowed to the god Zeus. The tree at his sanctuary in Dodona also served as an oracle. Earlier, most of Britain and the Western Europe were covered by oak forests. The people living in these forests used the oak trees to make tools like hammers and axes and also worshipped the biggest oak tree. They even believed that the oak tree was the gate to heaven. One British tale has it that the legendary wizard Merlin made his magic wand from the branch of an oak tree. Even Robin Hood and his friends met under a big oak tree in Sherwood Forest! The oak tree evokes a feeling of continued existence and steadfastness. It is one of the longest living trees in the world and holds great importance in the collective psyche of people. Check out the information in the section that follows to get to know more attention-grabbing oak tree facts.

• Oak trees belong to the genus Quercus and are members of the beech tree family.
• All oak trees are deciduous, which means that they drop their leaves during one season.
• There are over four hundred varieties of oak trees. Some of the common varieties include ‘white oak’, ‘black oak’, ‘northern red oak’ and ‘chestnut oak’.
• The wood of the oak tree is very strong and is often used in the manufacturing of furniture.
• For centuries oak trees were used in the construction of boats and ships.
• Oak barrels are used in the distilling of certain wines and liquors, producing a pleasing flavor in the final product.
• Oaks consume a large amount of water. Mature trees sometimes absorb more than 50 gallons of water each day.
• Many European nations use the oak tree as a ‘national tree’ as it symbolizes strength and long life.
• Oak trees can grow as high as 70 feet and reach widths of over 9 feet. Their branches can span between 85 and 135 feet in breadth!
• Oak trees produce seeds called ‘acorns’ during fall any time after reaching 20 years and before 50 years of age.
• They can produce an average of 2,200 acorns yearly after reaching 100 years of age.
• One oak tree in Windsor is said to be over 800 years old. It was planted during the reign of King John, and has lived through the reign of 35 monarchs!
• The oak remains a symbol of spiritual significance. The Bible refers to the oak tree 23 times!
• The six pence, one of Britain’s oldest coins, has an oak tree engraved on it.
• Most acorns that fall to the ground do not develop into oak trees as they are very difficult to germinate. In fact, only one out of every 10,000 acorns develops into an oak tree!