Different types of trees are called oak.
Oak is the name given to different trees belonging to the Fagaceae family, especially those species of the Quercus genus . In some cases, however, trees in the family Nothofagaceae are called oak.
In general, oaks are trees with a thick trunk and a height of more than twenty meters. They have large branches with evergreen leaves and bitter-tasting fruits. The main characteristic of oak is the hardness of its wood.
The value of its wood for the construction sector and the beauty of these trees make the oak one of the species most appreciated by humans . In fact, the notion of oak is often used symbolically to refer to a man of great strength , whether physical or spiritual. For example: “Grandpa has been hospitalized for a week, but I'm sure he'll get through it: he's an oak,” “The Uruguayan striker is an oak: despite the hard blow he suffered in the first half, he continued playing.” , “I don't care about attacks and offenses, I am an oak that no false accusation will knock down.”
The common oak
Quercus robur , a tree found in Europe and western Asia , is known as common oak . It is usually located in terrain up to 1,000 meters above sea level, with an oceanic climate and cool soil. American red oak , sessile oak , Japanese evergreen oak , and eastern white oak are other types of oaks.
In addition to these data, it is worth knowing other equally interesting information about the so-called common oak:
- Its growth is slow, so much so that it may be increasing in size until it is 200 years old.
- Its roots have the quality that they can go down up to 1.5 meters.
- It can reach more than 40 meters in height.
- In Spain there are many corners of its geography where it is easy to find oaks: they are found in provinces such as León , Palencia and Huesca as well as in autonomous communities such as Galicia , the Basque Country and Catalonia .
- The common oak is divided into three subspecies: the estremaduransis , which has the thinnest leaves and is found in Portugal ; the robur , which is located in the lands of Galicia ; and thebroroana , which achieves domes of between 18 to 23 millimeters and is present in places in the northwest of Spain .
The common oak is found in Europe and Asia.
A symbol of Guernica
The best-known common oak worldwide was one located in Guernica , which died in the 19th century after having managed to survive 1,000 years.
Of this Guernica oak we can highlight that it was located in front of the town's Assembly House and that it is considered to represent the traditional freedoms of the Basque Country . The original one lived until 1742 , to be replaced by “the Old One” who remained perfect until his death in 1892 . From that moment on, his children have moved in and replaced him at different periods.