Oak Trees
There are hundreds of species of oak trees that can be identified in most regions of the world. The are commonly misidentified as other types of trees but you can tell an oak tree by the design of the leaves which are serrated and smooth. The size and shape of each leave of an oak tree takes on a uniqueness that can’t be duplicated. These leaves are shed annually in the fall. Before they fall of though the leaves take on beautiful colors of reds, greens, yellows, and oranges.
The oak tree is a well known symbol of strength and endurance in the United States, England, France, and Germany. A healthy oak tree can leave for several hundred years as long as it is not affected by the elements or human interactions. The largest oak tree in the world can be found in the United States in the state of Maryland. It is more than 400 years old. It measures at 32 feet around and 105 feet tall.
Oak trees need plenty of water and nutrients to live a healthy life. A full grown oak tree can consume up to 50 gallons of water each day. This is why oak trees tend to grow the best mountain areas where there is plenty of precipitation and water run off as the snow melts in the warmer months. They also grow well close to rivers and other bodies of water.
After oak trees are about 20 years old they develop the ability to grown acorns. It will then be able to produce thousands of acorns each year. If you aren’t sure how old an oak tree is this is one good way to find out.
Oak trees offer some of the best wood available from all the types of trees. As a result oak trees are commonly destroyed to make furniture and other similar items. There are many other uses for oak tree bark as well. They include wine corks and to make the tanners for leather. In addition to succumbing to humans destroying them oak trees are also very susceptible to Sudden Oak Death. This is the result of a type of mold that leads to a fungus. Even the strongest of oak trees can be killed within a couple of weeks by this culprit.
