Lithocarpus pachylepis seed

LATIN NAME: LITHOCARPUS PACHYLEPIS

COMMON NAME: Thick-scaled Tanoak

The thick-scaled tanoak scales the hard, woody cups around the acorn-like nuts, the broad, evergreen leaves along the dense, upright crown, and the whole tree carrying the sturdy, southern look of the stone oaks. The foliage stays deep green through the year, the bark keeps the dark, fissured tone, and the tree grows into the tall, round-headed tree of the warm forests. The nuts ripen in the autumn, the birds and the small mammals take them, and the timber stays hard and heavy. It likes the sun, the shelter, and the deep, well-drained soil.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The stone oaks are a distinct branch of the beech family, and the thick-scaled tanoak appears in the studies of the warm-climate forests and the nut biology. The research covers the germination of the acorn-like nuts and the growth of the tree in the plantations, while the foresters measure the hard, heavy wood that serves the construction and the fuel. The ecologists track the autumn nuts that carry the wildlife through the season, and the collectors of the evergreen broadleaf trees keep the species in their catalogues.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

In the warm forest and the large garden alike, the thick-scaled tanoak earns its keep twice over. The hard, heavy timber serves the construction, the tool handles and the fuel, while the dense, evergreen crown gives the year-round structure and the shade. The autumn nuts feed the birds, the squirrels and the deer, and the tree holds the soil on the forest slopes. Sturdy, generous and evergreen.

The thick-scaled tanoak seeds start well in a gritty, sandy loam kept moist in the bright, cool place. The plump nuts rise on the sturdy stems, and they grow on steadily through the warm months. Keep them in the deep pots until the roots fill, then plant them out into the sunny, sheltered site with the deep, well-drained soil. They enjoy the mild, humid climate, and the evergreen leaves come with the first seasons. The scaly cups come within the few years.

To grow the thick-scaled tanoak from seed, sow the plump, brown seeds singly into the deep pot of gritty, sandy loam, then cover them well, keep the pot in the bright, cool spot and water gently. The seedlings spring up within a few weeks, and they grow on steadily. Stand the young trees in the deep, well-drained ground, and the scaly cups will hold the nuts over the years.