Uses
Edible uses
Notes
Seed - cooked. The seed is about 12mm long
[1], it can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. 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.
Material uses
A mulch of the leaves repels slugs, grubs etc, though fresh leaves should not be used as these can inhibit plant growth
[2].
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[3].
The bark is a good source of tannin[4][1].
Wood - coarse-grained, durable, heavy, hard, strong
[5][1][6]. It cracks badly when left in the sun and rots when in contact with the soil
[6]. It weighs 43lb per cubic foot
[1]. It is not a prime timber, but is used for rough lumber, tools, furniture etc and as fuel
[5][1][6].
The bark is antiseptic, astringent, febrifuge and tonic
[4][1][7]. An infusion has been used in the treatment of chronic dysentery, indigestion, asthma, lost voice and intermittent fevers
[7]. The bark has been chewed as a treatment for mouth sores
[7]. An infusion of the bark has been used as a wash on sore, chapped skin
[7].
Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc
[3].
Ecology
Ecosystem niche/layer
Canopy
Ecological Functions
Nothing listed.
Forage
Nothing listed.
Shelter
Nothing listed.
Propagation
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
[8]. Trees should not be left in a nursery bed for more than 2 growing seasons without being moved or they will transplant very badly.
Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Quercus falcata. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.
Cultivation
Prefers a good deep fertile loam which can be on the stiff side
[9][8]. Young plants tolerate reasonable levels of side shade
[10]. Tolerates moderate exposure, surviving well but being somewhat stunted
[10].
A moderately fast-growing tree in its native range, where it lives about 100 - 10 years[6]. It prefers warmer summers than are usually experienced in Britain, trees often grow poorly in this country and fail to properly ripen their wood resulting in frost damage overwinter[10].
Trees commence bearing seed when about 25 years old, production is cyclic with a year of high yields being followed by a few years of low yields[6]. The tree flowers on new growth produced in spring, the seed taking two summers to ripen[6].
Intolerant of root disturbance, trees should be planted in their permanent positions whilst young[8].
Hybridizes freely with other members of the genus[10].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus
[10].
Crops
Problems, pests & diseases
Associations & Interactions
There are no interactions listed for Quercus falcata. 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 Quercus falcata.
Descendants
Cultivars
Varieties
None listed.
Subspecies
None listed.
Full Data
This table shows all the data stored for this plant.
Taxonomy
Binomial name
Quercus falcata
Imported References
Material uses & Functions
Uses
Material uses
None listed.
Medicinal uses
None listed.
Ecosystems
Native Climate Zones
None listed.
Adapted Climate Zones
None listed.
Native Geographical Range
None listed.
Native Environment
None listed.
Root Zone Tendancy
None listed.
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"image:Quercus falcata leaves.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.
"image:Quercus falcata leaves.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.
"image:Quercus falcata leaves.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.
"image:Quercus falcata leaves.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.
"image:Quercus falcata leaves.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.
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"image:Quercus falcata leaves.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki., "image:Quercus falcata leaves.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.
"image:Quercus falcata leaves.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki."image:Quercus falcata leaves.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.
References
-
? 1.01.11.21.31.41.51.61.71.8 Vines. R.A. Trees of North Texas University of Texas Press. ISBN 0292780206 (1982-00-00)
-
? 2.02.1 Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. ISBN 0-88266-064-0 (1978-00-00)
-
? 3.03.13.23.3 Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin ISBN 0-14-046-440-9 (1984-00-00)
-
? 4.04.14.24.3 Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. ISBN 0-486-20278-X (1965-00-00)
-
? 5.05.15.25.3 Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. (1950-00-00)
-
? 6.06.16.26.36.46.56.6 Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. ISBN 0442238622 (1980-00-00)
-
? 7.07.17.27.37.4 Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. ISBN 0-88192-453-9 (1998-00-00)
-
? 8.08.18.28.3 Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray (1981-00-00)
-
? F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)
-
? 10.010.110.210.310.410.5 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)
"image:Quercus falcata leaves.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.
