Since ancient times, Oak has enjoyed good fame and popularity among different peoples. Even in Ancient Greece, the name of the patron god of the art and sciences of Apollo was associated with a majestic and useful tree. The ancient Slavs considered the oak a symbol of Perun, spewing thunder and lightning. Some authors explain the Latin generic name Quercus with the corresponding Greek word meaning “rough.” The fact is that the oak fruits on top are covered with a wrinkled, cup-shaped plush, in addition, the bark on old trees is cut with deep cracks.
Botanical description of common oak
The genus Oak belongs to the Beech family (Fagaceae). These are deciduous trees, less commonly shrubs with a wide distribution area. Common species for deciduous forests and the forest-steppe zone of the European part of Russia, Western and Eastern Europe is English oak (Quercus robur). Other species definitions of this plant are D. ordinary, D. summer, D. English. The height of trees of old age is 40–50 m, diameter is 1.5–2 m. The age of individual oak specimens in European countries reaches 700–2000 years, for example, Zaporizhzhya and Stelmuzhsky oaks. The leaves of D. vulgaris have a cirrus-lobed shape; they are dark green in color, shiny and leathery on top, grayish-green below. Small flowers form a loose inflorescence. In its place after pollination, a yellow-brown fruit-nut with longitudinal stripes is formed.
Oak Fruit - Acorn
The cup-shaped bun is formed by the reduced parts of the inflorescence, it is shallow, has a grayish tint, rough on the outside. The fruit can be almost round, reaching 1.5 cm in diameter. Acorns are often oblong in shape, 2.5–3.5 cm long. Oak fruits are used to spread the species, and are used in afforestation and restoration of forests after land reclamation.
Acorns can be planted in the country, in the front garden, in the courtyard of a multi-storey building. The first few years, seedlings will grow slowly. Then the trunk begins to thicken and stretch in length, the lower branches are high from the ground. Fruiting begins late, about 15–20 years after germination, but there are also later dates for the appearance of acorns. Ripened oak fruits in the middle lane are harvested in early or mid-autumn. In the southern regions, seed is harvested from October to November.
The practical significance of trees of the genus Quercus
In total, there are about 450 species of oak in the world, many of them are used in the furniture industry, shipbuilding, have medicinal properties and nutritional value. In past centuries, oak forests have been hit hard in densely populated areas due to plowing and the use of wood in construction. On the coast, even trunks are still used for the manufacture of boats and ships. Since ancient times, bark and wood have been a source of tanning compounds in the leather industry. From leaves and acorns get dye for wool.
Oak wood is dense, solid, resistant to decay even in wet conditions. Beautiful coloring and texture, elasticity and other properties allow the wide use of the material in house building and furniture industry. If the trunks lie for years under water without air, then they darken, become even more durable (“bog oak”). The flexibility and lack of smell of wood are highly valued in the production of barrels for cognac, alcohol, beer, wine.
The nutritional value of acorns
What are the fruits of oak, their calorie content - these are important indicators for breeding wild boars in deciduous and mixed forests. Highly nutritious acorns diversify the diet of domestic pigs, dried and ground fruits give cattle, poultry. To preserve oak forests, the average number of wild boars should not exceed 10–20 animals per 1000 ha of forest stands. With intensive use of the forest for fur farming, the seed and fodder base is reduced, and undergrowth is hardly formed. In addition to wild boars, oak fruits also serve as food for squirrels, raccoons, deer, woodpeckers and jays, accounting for up to 25% of their diet.
Acorns of trees of the genus Quercus contain in their composition:
- carbohydrates - up to 50.4%;
- water - 34.7%;
- oils - about 4.7%;
- protein - about 4.4%;
- fiber - up to 4.2%;
- mineral substances - 1.6%.
The nutritional value of 100 g of acorns is 500 calories. From this number of fruits, you can get 30 grams of oil. Acorns flour is suitable for baking bread, it can be added to dishes. Older people remember how in the war and post-war years, oak fruits saved from hunger. Dried and ground acorns are still customary to brew and drink, replacing coffee with this drink. It helps with gastrointestinal upsets and anemia. The taste of this coffee is pleasant, but a little cloying. A person who is accustomed to the aromatic grains of arabica will not like the acorn drink. They should not be carried away, tannins can adversely affect the functioning of the kidneys.
The preparation of acorns for coffee and flour includes soaking, drying in the sun, in the oven or in a pan. The amount of tannins can be determined by the size of the plus, the smaller the cupped cap on the stomach, the lower the content of tannic acid.
Oak leaves and fruits in folk medicine
Collected in a bunch of tree twigs with leaves - popular accessories for a Russian bath. It is believed that only hardy people should use oak brooms. Wide leaf blades contribute to the rapid injection of hot steam to the body. To rinse after a bath or bath, a decoction of leaves is used. This product, rich in tannins, has an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect. Fresh or dried leaves are ground in a mortar and applied to scratches, wounds for their disinfection.
The oak bark is rich in medicinal compounds . To obtain a pharmacy product, it is cut from young trees during sap flow, dried and ground. A decoction of the cortex is used for gastrointestinal disorders, for rinsing the mouth and throat, for acne, for bathing for skin diseases.
Powder from dried acorns for humans has therapeutic value as an antiviral and antiseptic. Milled and boiled oak fruit in water is used for diseases of the urinary system, to eliminate diarrhea. Take this folk remedy in order to cleanse the body of toxins, improve metabolism, with sore throat and dysentery.
The use of oak in landscaping and landscape design
Representatives of the genus Quercus are widely used in landscaping settlements, courtyards of urban high-rise buildings and rural houses. Groves, alleys, single specimens of oak adorn park areas. Large leaves secrete a lot of volatile, purifying air. The summer variety of oak completely discards leaves in the fall. The buds bloom early - in April. The leaves of the winter subspecies appear at the end of April or in May, dry in the fall, but do not fall in the winter.
In recent years, there has been growing interest in the use of oak in green building. Among the reasons for the new round of popularity is the creation of decorative forms with a pyramidal crown, cultivars late dropping leaves. Under a single oak tree in the garden you can plant a flower bed of primrose or violets. Gentle corollas of anemone anemone look beautiful against a dark trunk .
The use of oak fruits for educational purposes
In the classroom, kindergarten pupils are told about the benefits of trees, about the name of the oak fruits, what can be made of them. Preschoolers and primary schoolchildren with pleasure collect acorns for creative activities, games, creating crafts and compositions from natural materials. When dried, the fruit does not crack, only the plus on it does not hold. An acorn can be pierced with a needle, a match, made from it figures of people and animals, beads. High school students of rural schools, together with foresters, harvest oak fruits for afforestation and greening of their village.
Interesting facts related to oak fruits
The first full-fledged fruit crop is formed on a tree at the age of 50. Centennial oak produces an average of 2.2 thousand acorns per season. Only one fruit out of 10 thousand grows into a new tree. It is also important how the oak fruits are distributed for the reproduction of the species. If acorns are specially planted in prepared soil and take care of the plantation, then germination is increased.
Oak in the mythology of different nations is associated with power, longevity, exceptional courage in battle.
During World War II in Japan, schoolchildren collected more than 1 million tons of acorns. This saved the population from starvation in the face of reduced production and supply of rice.
The largest acorns monument was erected in the North American city of Raleigh (North Carolina). Its height is 3 m, weight - over 0.5 tons.
According to legend, the Russian Tsar Peter the Great dropped an acorn while walking on the coast of the Gulf of Finland to the north-west of St. Petersburg. This event is dedicated to the monument, which can be seen in the resort area near the village. Solar. The acorn is forged from metal and installed in the green zone near the road to the beach.