Practical
Plants

Quercus cerris

Turkey Oak

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Quercus genus in the family Fagaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Fagaceae
Genus
Quercus
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
vigorous
Height
35 m
Spread
25 m
Fertility
Wind
Flower type
monoecious
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - cooked. Up to 2.5cm long. It can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread[7]. The seed contains bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. The traditional method of preparing the seed was to bury it in boggy ground overwinter. The germinating seed was dug up in the spring when it would have lost most of its astringency. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute. A sweet fluid exudes from insect damage on the stems and solidifies[9][15][3][6]. This is edible and is sold as a manna in local markets in Iran[14]. It can be boiled down into a syrup and used for sweetening food[7].

Product or use
Coffee
Plant part
Sap
Product or use
Manna
Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc[13].

Product or use
Astringent

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The seed cups are used as buttons[17]. A mulch of the leaves repels slugs, grubs etc, though fresh leaves should not be used as these can inhibit the growth of young plants[10]. Oak galls are excrescences that are sometimes produced in great numbers on the tree and are caused by the activity of the larvae of different insects. The insects live inside these galls, obtaining their nutrient therein. When the insect pupates and leaves, the gall can be used as a rich source of tannin, that can also be used as a dyestuff[13]. The leaves, bark and wood are used commercially as a source of tannins[12]. Wood. It is valued by wheelwrights, turners and cabinet makers[13]. Of little value[1][4]. It does not weather well[2].

Product or use
Buttons
Product or use
Repellent
Product or use
Tannin
Product or use
Wood

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Canopy

Environment

Range
Europe to S.W. Asia. Naturalized in Britain[5].
Habitat
Hedges, thickets and woods in acid soils[5][2].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 6+
Soil textures
loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Tolerances
high wind
Wind
Yes
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - it quickly loses viability if it is allowed to dry out. It can be stored moist and cool overwinter but is best sown as soon as it is ripe in an outdoor seed bed, though it must be protected from mice, squirrels etc. Small quantities of seed can be sown in deep pots in a cold frame. Plants produce a deep taproot and need to be planted out into their permanent positions as soon as possible, in fact seed sown in situ will produce the best trees[4]. Trees should not be left in a nursery bed for more than 2 growing seasons without being moved or they will transplant very badly.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a good deep fertile loam which can be on the stiff side[1][4]. Grows well on chalk[18], even when the soil is shallow[8]. Young plants tolerate reasonable levels of side shade[11]. Tolerates moderate exposure, surviving well but being somewhat stunted[11]. Grows well near the coast[18]. Intolerant of root disturbance, trees should be planted in their permanent positions whilst young[4]. A very ornamental tree[1], it grows very well in Britain and is the fastest growing of the oaks in cultivation in this country[1]. The seed ripens in its second year[11]. Trees transplant badly unless they are moved regularly[4]. Hybridizes freely with other members of the genus[11]. This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[16][11].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969-00-00 ISBN 0192176218

    ↩1↩2

  3. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩

  4. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  5. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  6. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  7. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2

  8. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

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  9. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

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  10. Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-88266-064-0

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  11. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  12. Rottsieper. E.H.W. Vegetable Tannins The Forestal Land, Timber and Railways Co. Ltd. 1946-00-00

    ↩

  13. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  14. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

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  15. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

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  16. RHS. The Garden. Volume 112. Royal Horticultural Society 1987-00-00

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  17. Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-486-23310-3

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  18. Gordon. A. G. and Rowe. D. C. f. Seed Manual for Ornamental Trees and Shrubs.

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