Quercus suber

Quercus suber, the cork oak, is an evergreen tree native to the western Mediterranean. Its thick bark can be stripped repeatedly to produce cork without felling the tree.

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Cork: A lightweight, elastic material formed from the bark of cork oak trees. The harvested bark is processed into this distinctive material.
Phellogen: A lateral meristem that produces cork cells outward and secondary cortex inward. This tissue generates the cork layer harvested from the trunk.
Cork stopper: A plug made from cork or cork composite, commonly used to seal wine bottles. Bottle stoppers are a major use of cork oak harvests.
Quercus ilex: An evergreen Mediterranean oak, commonly called holm oak or holly oak. It shares cork oak landscapes but is not the principal source of commercial cork.
Bark: The outer protective tissue covering the stems and roots of woody plants. Cork oak’s unusually thick bark is the source of its commercial value.
Bark stripping: The removal of outer bark from a tree while leaving its living tissues intact. Harvesters remove cork oak bark by hand without cutting down the tree.
Cork industry: The businesses and labor involved in harvesting, processing, and selling cork. The tree sustains a regional industry built around renewable bark.
Quercus robur: A large deciduous oak native to much of Europe, known as pedunculate oak. Its temperate, deciduous habit contrasts with cork oak’s Mediterranean adaptation.
Mediterranean climate: A climate with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. This seasonal pattern shapes the environments where cork oak thrives.
Cork oak debarking cycle: The recurring interval between cork harvests from an individual cork oak. The tree needs years to regenerate a harvestable layer of cork.