Viveiros Jardimseco

Name: Quercus suber
Brand: Medium-sized, evergreen tree
SKU: 1331
Price: 7.84 EUR
Availability: InStock

Place order online

Quercus suber

Store/Mediterranean

Plant Details

Plant Type: Medium-sized, evergreen tree

Aspect: Dry areas, full sun

Foliage: Evergreen

Size - height & spread : 10 - 15 metres high

Soil type/requirements: Extremely tolerant, dry, shallow, unimproved

Water requirements (established plants): Low, endures drought

Native Distribution: Southwest Europe and Northwest Africa. Portugal

Cork Oak or Sobreiro. Economically important in its production of bark for the cork industry, ecologically important as habitat to the European Lynx and several raptor species. Individual trees can be magnificent, but its real ecological value is in the species "forest" form, when trees are present in large numbers, for example in the Alentejo. It is a home and food source for a multitude of animal species. The bark, if it has not been removed, allows it to survive fires. The act of removing the bark, and the timing of the harvest, belongs to a very skilled profession, and many trees are damaged every year by unskilled or irresponsible bark removal, unfortunately it is a skill that is undervalued and is dying out. If this work is not carried out correctly it can be fatal to the tree and trees can die suddenly, or slowly (often unnoticeably) over a period of years.

The tree does not benefit in any way from the loss of its bark, and it should not be allowed if the tree is in poor health. The thick bark or cork is in fact the tree's defence against fire, so as land becomes less managed, particularly by animal grazing, so the risk and intensity of fires can increase. The cork trees, stripped of their bark, become vulnerable, so unless you are financially desperate, there is probably no need whatsoever to have the cork removed from a tree in your garden.

Cork trees grow slowly but with remarkably little input from man once established, planting one is an investment or gift for future generations. They grow best on slightly acid soil, but they can also cope with most soils, including clay soils - in fact they are easy to grow!

Specialising in growing plants for dry mediterranean landscapes

We are a plant nursery in the Algarve specialising in dry mediterranean species. We propagate and grow our own stock in conditions they are likely to endure when they are planted out.

We grow plants that are adapted to the dry land conditions in Portugal and southern Spain, both mediterranean perennials and succulents.

We choose plants that require very little water and maintenance. We produce a range of dry land plants that are typical of the worlds mediterranean regions. These are available to order ready for planting in the wetter months of the year. Please order the plants you need and we’ll have them ready at the best time for planting.

To ensure your new plants adapt and establish quickly, we produce them in special anti-spiral root pruning containers and a range of fibre pots (no plastic waste) with our own tried and tested growing media.

Viveiros Jardimseco - Plantas de terra seca

Viveiros Jardimseco

Tavira, Algarve

Please note we have no retail outlet or garden centre and are not open to the public. For more information you can contact us here.

Plantas adaptadas à seca - produzimos plantas adaptadas às condições de Portugal e Sul de Espanha, tanto espécies mediterrânicas como suculentas.

Oferecemos uma gama de espécies típicas das zonas climáticas mediterrânicas em todo o mundo.

Contacte-nos