Oak : the king of trees

The oak is often called the king of trees, just as the lion is king of animals. These giants can grow up to 50 meters tall. They can also live longer than the people who own the land they grow on.

Oaks have long stood for strength and are seen as male trees. Many old stories feature them. Oak wood is useful in building, leather making, and medicine. It is also used to make bottle caps. Oak acorns feed cattle and can even be used to make a special kind of coffee.


The common oak, or Quercus robur L., belongs to the beech family. It includes trees and shrubs that can lose or keep their leaves. Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish scientist, first named this group. There are about 600 kinds of oak. They usually live 300 to 500 years. Some have been known to live as long as 2000 years.

Oaks grow in many places in the northern half of the world. They do best in mild weather. They like temperate, subtropical, and tropical areas.

An oak is a strong, full tree. Young oaks have bark that is silvery-gray. Older oaks have dark gray bark with many cracks, about 10 centimeters thick. The top of the tree is usually thick with strong, spreading branches. These branches are curved because they grow toward the light and change direction as they grow.