Quercus faginea seed
LATIN NAME: QUERCUS FAGINEA
COMMON NAME: Portuguese Oak
In the dry oakwoods of the Iberian peninsula, the Portuguese oak grows as a broad, rounded, semi-evergreen tree with the thick, leathery, shallowly lobed leaves, whitish beneath, and the small, greenish catkins, the short-stalked acorns with their scaly cups ripening in the autumn. It slowly establishes a broad, spreading crown, eventually 10-20 metres tall. Give it full sun and deep, fertile ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The Portuguese oak appears in the studies of the Mediterranean oaks of the Iberian west, its leathery leaves and its drought-hardy habit keeping it in view in the work on the dehesa woodlands and the oak forests of the dry Mediterranean climate. The research looks at the way the whitish leaf undersides reflect the summer heat, the scaly cups hold the acorns, and the seed biology of the short-lived acorns.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
In the dry garden and the Mediterranean slope, the Portuguese oak carries the dense, rugged green crown that shades the thin ground and stands the long summer drought. The acorns feed the jays and the pigs of the old dehesa, the hard timber has served the ages, and the tree makes the fine shade tree, the dryland oak and the wildlife tree. It is a tree for the open, sunny, dry and well-drained place.
To grow the Portuguese Oak from seed, sow the acorns at once, as the seeds lose their life when dried, on a bed of leaf mould.
Sow the acorns at once, as the seeds lose their life when dried, on a bed of leaf mould, and keep the young oaks in the open, sunny spot. The leathery leaves hold through the mild winter.
LATIN NAME: Quercus faginea
COMMON NAME: Portuguese Oak, Lusitanian Oak
The Portuguese oak is one of the great trees of the Iberian Peninsula, and it has shaded the hills of Spain and Portugal for thousands of years. The species develops a weeping, cascading form, to about twelve metres. The acorns sit in small, scaly cups, and they ripen in autumn, feeding the wildlife of the oak woodlands. It is a tree of the mountains and the valleys, tough and long-lived, and it has been a cornerstone of the Iberian landscape for millennia.
The Portuguese oak belongs to the oak family, Fagaceae, and it is native to the western Mediterranean, on the Iberian Peninsula and in the Atlas Mountains of northwest Africa. Growth leads to a narrow, conical crown, reaching several metres.
Positive & Encouraging Seed Germination Guide
Growing a Portuguese oak from seed is easy and very satisfying. The acorns ripen in autumn and are best sown fresh, as soon as they fall, since they germinate readily in cool, moist conditions. Sow them in deep pots of free-draining compost, about two centimetres deep, and leave them outdoors in a cold frame or a sheltered, shaded spot through the winter. Germination usually begins in spring, with strong, sturdy seedlings. Pot them on as they grow and plant them out in a sunny, well-drained spot once they are established. A Portuguese oak you have raised from seed will grow into a handsome, long-lived tree.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The Portuguese oak has a genuine and important place in ecological and forestry research. It is one of the most important trees of the Iberian Peninsula, and researchers have studied its distribution, its ecology and its role in the oak woodlands, which support a great range of wildlife, including the famous dehesa landscapes of Spain and Portugal. The species has also been studied in research on climate and forest regeneration, since oaks are long-lived and slow to replace, and its adaptability to different soils and climates makes it valuable in such studies. The wood is hard and durable, and the tree has been studied in forestry for its timber and its use in the landscape. For a tree of such importance to its region, the Portuguese oak has a rich and practical record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the Portuguese oak is a keystone of the Iberian landscape. Its acorns feed wild boar, pigs, deer and many birds, its dense canopy gives shade and shelter for wildlife, and its deep roots hold the soil of the hills and valleys where it grows.
Its economic value is historic and real. The hard, durable wood is used for construction, furniture, wine barrels and fuel, and the acorns have been used to feed pigs, particularly the famous Iberian pigs of Spain. The tree is also valued for shade, for shelter and for the restoration of degraded land. For a grower, the Portuguese oak is a tree of great value and tradition, and for a gardener it brings the solid, enduring presence of the Iberian oak woodland.