Quercus suber

Cork oak
Cork oak in its natural habitat
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Fagales
Family:	Fagaceae
Genus:	Quercus
Subgenus:	Quercus subg. Cerris
Section:	Quercus sect. Cerris
Species:	Q. suber
Binomial name
Quercus suber L.
Synonyms[2]
List Quercus cintrana Welw. ex Nyman Quercus corticosa Raf. Quercus mitis Banks ex Lowe Quercus occidentalis Gay Quercus sardoa Gand. Quercus subera St.-Lag. Quercus suberosa Salisb.

Quercus suber, commonly called the cork oak, is a medium-sized, evergreen oak tree in the section Quercus sect. Cerris. It is the primary source of cork for wine bottle stoppers and other uses, such as cork flooring and as the cores of cricket balls. It is native to southwest Europe and northwest Africa. In the Mediterranean basin the tree is an ancient species with fossil remnants dating back to the Tertiary period.^[3] It can survive for as long as two centuries. Typically, once it reaches 25 years old, its thick bark can be harvested for cork every 9 to 12 years without causing harm to the tree.^[4]

It endures drought and makes little demand on the soil quality and is regarded as a defence against desertification. Cork oak woodlands are home to a multitude of animal and plant species. Since cork is increasingly being displaced by other materials as a bottle cap, these forests are at risk as part of the cultural landscape and as a result animal species such as the Iberian lynx and imperial eagles are threatened with extinction.^[5]