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Lithocarpus densiflorus
  • Tanbark Oak

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Lithocarpus genus in the family Fagaceae.

Niche
  • Canopy
    Canopy
    There are no details available for this niche.
Functions
  • None
    None
    There are no functions defined for this plant. Do you know of some? Click the edit button to add them!
Light
  • Full sun
    Full sun
    The amount of sun exposure that a plant prefers in ideal conditions.
    Key
  • light shade
    Light shade
    The amount of shade a plant will tolerate without adverse health affects.
    Key
Water
  • Water Requirementsmoderate
    Moderate
    The amount of water a plant needs for healthy growth, relative to other plants.
    Key
Soil
  • acid,neutral,alkaline
    Unknown
    The PH range (acidity or alkilinity) of the growth medium ideal for healthy nutrient absorbtion.
    Key
  • Sandy to Clay
    The soil texture this plant prefers for optimal growth.
    Key
Cold & Heat
  • 7
    Zone 7
    The USDA Hardiness scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the minimum temperature a plant can survive.
    Key
    0< -53.9ºC< -65ºF
    1-51.1ºC-60ºF
    2-45.6ºC-50F
    3-40ºC-40ºF
    4-34.4ºC-30ºF
    5-28.9ºC-20ºF
    6-23.3ºC-10ºF
    7-17.8ºC0ºF
    8-12.2C10ºF
    9-6.7ºC20ºF
    10-1.1ºC30ºF
    114.4ºC40ºF
    12> 10ºC> 5ºF
  • ?
    Unknown
    The AHS Heat scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the number of days per year a plant requires a temperature exceeding 30ºC (86ºF).
    Key
    11
    21 - 7
    38 - 14
    415 - 30
    531 - 45
    646 - 60
    761 - 90
    891 - 120
    9121 - 150
    10151 - 180
    11181 - 210
    12181 - 210
Lithocarpus densiflorus has 0 edible uses listed
Lithocarpus densiflorus has 0 material uses listed
Lithocarpus densiflorus has 0 medicinal uses listed

Uses

Edible uses

Notes

Seed - cooked[1][2]. The seed was a staple food for several native North American Indian tribes[3]. It contains bitter-tasting tannins and there are various ways of removing them. The fastest is by soaking the ground-up seed in hot water - if the water is changed at least once the tannins should be removed within 12 hours. Traditionally, the seeds were placed in a cloth bag and either buried in swampy ground or suspended in a running stream for a few months. Once the tannins have been removed, the seed is then dried, ground into a powder and can be used as a porridge or can be mixed with cereal flours in baking bread etc[4][3]. It has a pleasant taste after it has been leached[5]. The seed is up to 25mm long and wide[6][7]. The seed is valued for its oil[5].

Unknown part

Oil

Seed

Unknown use

Material uses

The bark is exceedingly rich in tannin, yielding up to 29%[8][6][9][10]. It has been used as a brown dye and also to preserve rope that is being used in water[257, K]. Wood - hard, strong, close grained, brittle. It is not commercially important and is used mainly for fuel[6][7].

Unknown part

Dye
Fuel
Preservative
Tannin
Wood

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

The bark is very astringent. An infusion is used as a wash for face sores[3]. The infusion can also be held in the mouth to tighten loose teeth[3].

Unknown part

Astringent
Odontalgic
Skin

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Canopy

Ecological Functions

Nothing listed.

Forage

Nothing listed.

Shelter

Nothing listed.

Propagation

The seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame[11]. It needs to be protected from mice, squirrels and other seed eaters. The seed has a short viability but can be stored for a few months if kept cool and slightly damp - the salad compartment of a fridge is a good storage place. Germination takes place in the winter or early spring. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots. If the plants are 15cm or more tall by the summer they can be planted out into their permanent positions. Give them a good weed-excluding mulch and some protection from the cold for their first couple of years outdoors. If growth is not sufficient then grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter and plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.

Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Lithocarpus densiflorus. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.



Cultivation

Prefers a deep fertile soil with medium drainage[11].

Perfectly hardy at Kew[8], trees produced seed at Kew in the very hot summer of 1989[K]. A slow-growing tree in the wild, living up to 300 - 350 years old[7].

Plants usually flower in the spring and sometimes again in the autumn[12]. The seeds take two seasons to ripen[7]. Prolific crops are usually produced every other year in the wild[7].

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

There are no interactions listed for Lithocarpus densiflorus. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.

Polycultures & Guilds

There are no polycultures listed which include Lithocarpus densiflorus.

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

None listed.

Subspecies

None listed.

Full Data

This table shows all the data stored for this plant.

Taxonomy
Binomial name
Lithocarpus densiflorus
Genus
Lithocarpus
Family
Fagaceae
Imported References
Edible uses
[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Medicinal uses
[3]
Material uses & Functions
[8][6][9][10][7]
Botanic
[8][13][11]
Propagation
Cultivation
Environment
Cultivation
Uses
Edible uses
None listed.
Material uses
None listed.
Medicinal uses
None listed.
Functions & Nature
Functions
Provides forage for
Provides shelter for
Environment
Hardiness Zone
7
Heat Zone
?
Water
moderate
Sun
full sun
Shade
light shade
Soil PH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Soil Texture
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil Water Retention
Environmental Tolerances
    Ecosystems
    Native Climate Zones
    None listed.
    Adapted Climate Zones
    None listed.
    Native Geographical Range
    None listed.
    Native Environment
    None listed.
    Ecosystem Niche
    Canopy
    Root Zone Tendancy
    None listed.
    Life
    Deciduous or Evergreen
    evergreen
    Herbaceous or Woody
    woody
    Life Cycle
    perennial
    Growth Rate
    slow
    Mature Size
    10 x 10 meters
    Fertility
    ?
    Pollinators
    ?
    Flower Colour
    ?
    Flower Type
    monoecious











    References

    1. ? 1.01.1 Sweet. M. Common Edible and Useful Plants of the West. Naturegraph Co. ISBN 0-911010-54-8 (1962-00-00)
    2. ? 2.02.1 Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications ISBN 0-486-23310-3 (1976-00-00)
    3. ? 3.03.13.23.33.43.5 Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. ISBN 0-88192-453-9 (1998-00-00)
    4. ? 4.04.1 Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 (1990-00-00)
    5. ? 5.05.15.2 Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture. ()
    6. ? 6.06.16.26.36.4 Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. ISBN 0-486-20278-X (1965-00-00)
    7. ? 7.07.17.27.37.47.57.6 Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. ISBN 0442238622 (1980-00-00)
    8. ? 8.08.18.28.3 Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray (1981-00-00)
    9. ? 9.09.1 ? Encyclopaedia Britannica. 15th edition. ()
    10. ? 10.010.1 Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press (1952-00-00)
    11. ? 11.011.111.2 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)
    12. ? Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. ISBN 0-86318-386-7 (1990-00-00)
    13. ? Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press (1959-00-00)


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    Facts about "Lithocarpus densiflorus"RDF feed
    Article is incompleteYes +
    Article requires citationsNo +
    Article requires cleanupYes +
    Belongs to familyFagaceae +
    Belongs to genusLithocarpus +
    Has binomial nameLithocarpus densiflorus +
    Has common nameTanbark Oak +
    Has drought toleranceIntolerant +
    Has edible partUnknown part + and Seed +
    Has edible useOil + and Unknown use +
    Has flowers of typeMonoecious +
    Has growth rateSlow +
    Has hardiness zone7 +
    Has lifecycle typePerennial +
    Has material partUnknown part +
    Has material useDye +, Fuel +, Preservative +, Tannin + and Wood +
    Has mature height10 +
    Has mature width10 +
    Has medicinal partUnknown part +
    Has medicinal useAstringent +, Odontalgic + and Skin +
    Has search namelithocarpus densiflorus + and tanbark oak +
    Has shade toleranceLight shade +
    Has soil ph preferenceAcid +, Neutral + and Alkaline +
    Has soil texture preferenceSandy +, Loamy + and Clay +
    Has sun preferenceFull sun +
    Has taxonomic rankSpecies +
    Has taxonomy nameLithocarpus densiflorus +
    Has water requirementsmoderate +
    Inhabits ecosystem nicheCanopy +
    Is deciduous or evergreenEvergreen +
    Is herbaceous or woodyWoody +
    Is taxonomy typeSpecies +
    PFAF cultivation notes migratedNo +
    PFAF edible use notes migratedNo +
    PFAF material use notes migratedNo +
    PFAF medicinal use notes migratedNo +
    PFAF propagation notes migratedNo +
    PFAF toxicity notes migratedYes +
    Tolerates nutritionally poor soilNo +
    Uses mature size measurement unitMeters +
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