English oak - Quercus robur. Green oak, mighty and beautiful

• Demanding on soil fertility. Grows best in deep, fertile, fresh loams LOAM - sandy-clayey soil containing 10-30% clay particles less than 0.005 mm in size (or 30-50% particles less than 0.01 mm) and a significant amount of sand (50-70%). A ball rolled from loam is crushed into a cake, along the edges of which cracks form. Loams are divided into light, medium and heavy. They hold water and nutrients well, accumulate heat; light and medium loams are considered the most successful soils for farming. And sandy loam LOAM (sandy loam soil) – loose sandy-clayey soil containing no more than 10% clay particles less than 0.005 mm in size and a lot of sand. Sandy loam is the least plastic of all clay soils; when you rub it between your fingers, grains of sand are felt, and it does not roll well into a cord. A ball rolled from sandy loam will crumble if you put a little pressure on it. Sandy loam soil is well aerated, heats up quickly and cools down quickly, does not hold water and nutrients well, and is easy to cultivate.. Loves moist soils, but does not tolerate excessive waterlogging.
• In nature it grows on gray forest GRAY FOREST SOILS – formed in forest-steppe zone under conditions of periodic flushing water regime under the canopy of broad-leaved, mixed or small-leaved forests with varied and abundant herbaceous vegetation. The upper humus layer is gray in color, with a lumpy-grained structure, no more than 20-25 cm thick. They are usually quite fertile, but require protection from water erosion. loams, podzolic soils PODZOL SOILS are typical soils of coniferous and northern (“boreal”) forests. The name comes from the words “under” and “ash” and apparently appeared from Russian peasants who, when plowing, discovered a layer that resembled ash. These soils are formed in damp and cold areas, which are characterized by: depletion of plant litter in nitrogen and ash elements, leaching nutrients from the soil, slow soil life with a predominance of fungi, prolonged decomposition of organic matter with a tendency to oxidize the soil., degraded black soils CHERNOZEM (“ black earth") is a humus-rich, dark-colored soil formed on loams or clays in subboreal and temperate continental climates with periodically leaching or non-flushing water regime under perennial herbaceous vegetation. Chernozems are distinguished by good water-air properties, a cloddy-grained structure and increased fertility., on brown soils BUROZEMS (brown forest soils) – soil formed under broad-leaved, mixed and less commonly coniferous forests in moderately warm conditions humid climate in rinsing water mode. Brown soils are characterized by a brown color, a lumpy structure, a high humus content, and a slightly acidic or acidic reaction. Fertile, valued in forestry and agriculture.(in the mountains), on dry rocky calcareous soils CALIMIC SOIL – soil containing at least 50% lime. Calcareous soils are loose, easy to cultivate, heat up quickly, form a crust after rain, do not retain water well, and plants often suffer from drought and lack of oxygen. They have an alkaline reaction and are moderately fertile.(in the mountains), on sandy loam, solonetzic SALTONZES are soils that have a large number of water-soluble sodium salts. They form in arid areas of the temperate, tropical and subtropical zones under conditions of non-flushing water regime. Unlike salt marshes, solonetzes do not contain salts in top layer, but at some depth. Solonetzes are viscous and sticky when wet, when dry they become hard and difficult to process, they have a highly compacted subsurface horizon, an alkaline reaction, and often form a crust on the surface. SALONETSIC SOILS have similar properties, but in terms of quantitative indicators they are not classified as solonetzes.(in the steppes), alluvial ALLUVIAL (FLOODWAY) SOILS - a group of soils located in river floodplains. Their distinctive feature is periodic flooding by flood waters, accompanied by the introduction and deposition of new mineral and organic material on the soil surface. In addition, these soils are characterized by close occurrence groundwater. Most alluvial soils contain silt, sand and gravel and are very fertile.(in floodplains large rivers) soils.
• Can grow on medium (loamy) and heavy ( clayey CLAY SOIL – soil containing more than 30% clay particles (less than 0.005 mm in size). Clay soil is very plastic and rolls well into a cord. A ball rolled from clay is compressed into a flat cake without cracks forming at the edges. Clay soils are heavy, dense, viscous, difficult to cultivate, very rich minerals and microelements, do not allow water and air to pass through well. When it rains, water stagnates on the clay, and when there is drought, the earth becomes hard like a brick.) soils.
• Can grow on acidic, neutral and alkaline soils. Does not like acidic soils. When the soil reacts strongly, which usually occurs under the influence of spruce, the oak dies, giving way to the dominance of spruce.
• Thanks to its powerful root system, it can grow on dry, poor, rocky soils.
• Tolerates soil compaction. But excessive compaction in places with excessive recreational load or overgrazing of animals leads to a dry crown.

The common oak is large, beautiful, powerful deciduous tree, which reaches a height of about 48 meters and two meters in diameter. In some cases, the lifespan of this tree can reach an age of about a thousand years or more, and can evaporate more than 100 tons of liquid during a warm period of time, which is approximately 215 times its mass. There are approximately 20 varieties of oak known in Russia. The most popular variety is the English oak. Petiolate, like any other type of this tree, has a powerful root system, which is highly branched.

The crown of the tree (pictured) is well developed and spreading. The bark of young shoots has a slightly olive-brown color; on an old tree it becomes gray-brown, with cracks. The leaves are oblong, obovate, narrowed below, pinnately lobed. The leaves may have a dark green color. They are quite shiny with bright veins. In spring it may bloom very late. Next we will look at more detailed description this tree.

Varieties: There are approximately 580 varieties in total. Ordinary or petiolate grows mainly on the northern slopes of mountainous areas.

Life expectancy is about 300 years. At first, the bark on the new tree becomes smooth and shiny, the leaves take on a pinnate appearance, reaching towards the rays of the sun. Then the tree becomes taller than all its neighbors and can spread its crown, while eclipsing everything nearby; its bark may crack and is no longer suitable as medicinal plant. The duration is about several centuries. It happens that it reaches 1 thousand years or more.

Root system: roots spread underground over a distance of 5 meters.

Branches: The tree has a wide, irregular crown. Young branches acquire a greenish-brown color.

Height: approximately 38 meters.

Leaflets: The leaves are alternate, short-petioled with ears near the base.

Flowers: flowers are unisexual.

Flowering period: from May, when pinnate leaves can be seen.

Fruit: an acorn, which is surrounded by a plus.

Ripening period: September.

Collection period: the bark can be harvested by sap flow.

Oak fruits

O

IN folk medicine Since ancient times, acorns, which were ground together with birch tar, were prescribed as excellent remedy from various tumors. In Rus', patients with a cold were forced to sweat, and then forced to dry themselves with canvas, which had only recently been boiled in oak peels. With this decoction you can get rid of inflammation in the body. And it was possible to steam in Rus' both with the help of birch and oak brooms, especially for those who suffered from various bodily infirmities.

According to scientists, acorns were originally the food of mankind. The very first bread was considered to be acorn cakes. Previously, acorns were dried in special ovens, then flour was made from them, and then bread was baked. There are a huge number folk legends about an oak tree under which large chests were buried. In Rus', it was a sacred tree; in ancient times, statues of gods were made. People's meetings were usually organized under this tree. Twigs with leaves were like a symbol of glory. The leaves of this tree were depicted on Russian coins.

Flowering and spreading

The following types of oak are popular:

• early,
• late.

The first of the above varieties may have leaves that bloom as early as April and winter period will fall off, and late ones may bloom two weeks later. It blooms from April to May, when it has small leaves. The flowers are unisexual, monoecious, and rather small. Male flowers are usually collected in an inflorescence located on a thin yellowish-greenish catkin, which looks like a hazel catkin. These earrings can hang in bunches from the branches and almost blend in color with the young small leaves.

Common oak leaves

The female flowers are sessile and quite tiny - about the size of a pinhead. Each of them has an appearance that is slightly reminiscent of a greenish grain, the top of which is raspberry-red in color. These flowers are located several at the ends of the thinnest stems. From any female flower Acorns may grow by autumn. After the flowering period, a small cup-shaped involucre may first grow, and then the acorn itself. The acorn may ripen by the end of September. Acorns do not like drought; if they lose moisture, they die.

Oak mainly grows in forest or steppe regions of Europe. Previously, almost 50% of European forested areas were based on oak forests, and today oak forests occupy approximately 3 percent of any European forests. Often spotted in the Far East, Crimea, the Caucasus, and so on. This tree is also widespread in the middle and southern territories of the European part of our country. Oak doesn't like cold ones climatic conditions, but in the south it can develop much better. This tree grows and creates, together with other species, almost the entire territory. Oaks can be divided into summer, winter and evergreen. Of the three varieties that grow in Ukraine, it is more common and has important for industry ordinary.

Among all existing trees, the oak stands out for its power. It has always been, thanks to the hardness of its wood and impressive volumes, a symbol of strength and immortality. And oak leaves have many beneficial properties.

About oaks from ancient history. Connection with the Gods

In ancient times, many nations dedicated oak to the great gods: Jupiter among the Romans, Zeus among the Greeks, etc. It is known that Jupiter communicated his will through the oracle of Dodon using the whisper of the leaves of an oak grove.

One of the forest kings of ancient Rome dedicated a grove with oak trees on the shores of the Nemi (lake) to Jupiter.

Oak wreaths made from the leaves of this amazing tree were the distinctive sign of the rulers of ancient Italy.

And the oak leaf itself was also a symbol. He was even credited with the ability to tame the kings of all animals - lions.

And the ancient Germans for people's assembly often they chose a place under a spreading oak tree. There they worshiped the god of thunder (Thor), the highest deity, just like the Lithuanians did their god Perkunas. Even ancient Japan had its own oak god - Casciano kami.

The peoples of ancient times believed that oak trees were the dwellings of living creatures, forest elves (dryads).

Oak leaf: photo. Some useful properties

The leaves contain useful tannins (as well as the bark) - quercetin and pentosans. Leaves collected before May 15th can be used in medicinal purposes.

What do I need to do? Young fresh branches with leaves in small brooms are dried in a shaded place in a suspended state. In this way, dried leaves are stored for approximately 1 year.

Oak leaf is used both externally and internally. It is good for the rapid healing of various wounds and cuts, and the scarring of ulcers.

An infusion of leaves (1 teaspoon of leaves is poured into two glasses of boiling water and infused in a warm place for 2 days) is good for bedwetting.

What are galls?

Sometimes at the end of summer, not very pleasant-looking spherical growths appear on oak leaves. These externally unsightly formations appear due to insects (gallworms) and are called galls. How does this happen? These insects lay eggs inside the leaf tissue itself, where their larvae subsequently develop. As a result, the pathologically overgrown tissue turns into a gall (“nut”).

The oak leaf (photo below) usually has green, round galls, usually attached to the bottom of the leaf.

Oddly enough, they (leaves with galls) are collected for brewing and drunk instead of tea with sugar or honey. Their decoction is also used in the form of lotions (1 glass of raw material is brewed with 1 liter of boiling water, then boiled for 5 minutes, infused and filtered).

The most useful are fresh green and unripe galls.

Therapeutic effects of galls

Let us list some of the many beneficial properties that oak leaves and their galls have:

1. They have a very good astringent property (mixed with vinegar helps with pain in the teeth and ears).

2. Excellent for promoting hair growth.

3. A good medicine against pulmonary tuberculosis.

4. Promote the healing of wounds resulting from burns.

5. Helps well with gynecological diseases.

6. Excellent remedy cures for various skin diseases: lichen, eczema, erysipelas, cracks in the legs and arms, ulcers.

7. Good for bleeding.

8. Even eye ulcers are cured.

9. Stops diarrhea.

Oak leaves in life and at home

With the onset of autumn, the leaves of all trees (except evergreens) begin to turn yellow and die and fall off.

Beautiful shiny oak leaves with carved edges have the property of synthesizing the energy of the sun, which the tree needs for its growth and life. Everyone knows that a plant that does not receive ultraviolet rays dies.

By autumn, all life processes in the tree slow down. Oak leaves, which worked for him for two whole seasons (spring and summer), become unnecessary. The tree sheds them to save moisture.

But no matter what the leaf is (dry golden or fresh green), the beauty of its form always attracts and fascinates people.

Very often, designers use the image of an oak leaf in their works. Even in stores and shopping centers labels and price tags are shaped like an oak leaf. Also, in the design of various rooms, elements such as oak leaves and maple leaves are often used: on wallpaper, in patterns on curtains, upholstery, etc.

Perhaps all this is due to the fact that the oak tree itself is a symbol of strength, power, durability and stability, and people believe in this.

Oak and energy

Oak, one might say, is one of the most energetically powerful plants in Russia.

This tree in Rus' has always been considered holy. It helps people bring the necessary energy of the planet Jupiter into our world. This energy allows people to control their own destiny. She is able to give a person strength that allows him not only to prolong his own life, but also to provide beneficial influence on the fate of children and grandchildren, and not only.

The oak has always been a symbol of strength that cannot be defeated by anything.

1. general description
2. Botanical classification
3. Habitat
4. Beneficial features
5. Main types of mighty oaks
6. Oaks of Russia
7. American oak genus
8. Europe and Mediterranean

According to various sources, the oak family 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 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, the scientific classification of the genus is as follows:

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 areas with temperate climate and grows naturally 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.

Beneficial features

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

• The wood is highly durable and resistant to various kinds influences;
• The 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 (and 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 oak – rare representative 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 of the chestnut tree, from which the species takes its name.

In Russia, the chestnut-leaved plant is found in 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.

Bright color made red oak a popular decoration of 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.

Stone evergreen giant like a classic from films - a wide spreading crown with sparse branches, a trunk large diameter 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. The crown acquires a dull yellow color in autumn.

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

Cork oak – 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. Grows on calcareous and dry soils in natural conditions, 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.