Source for Cork Oak Seedlings

[Left Coast Chris]

I saw an article awhile back where during WWll there was a shortage of cork.  A business man living in Chico Ca imported some cork oak trees and harvested cork for the war effort.   

I visited the site (Bidwell Park in Chico....north of Sacramento) and the tree is facinating.  The bark is thick, real cork.

Anyone have a source for seed (assume acorns) or seedlings?   I would like to plant some.   

[SwampDonkey]

I found one source off a California Gardening Forum.

Urban Tree Farm Nursery
4010 Fulton Rd., Fulton 95439
T: (707) 579-2551

right next to Santa Rosa in Sonoma County

You could call and see, maybe they know someone closer to you.

[Don P]

Here's another, my wife hollered up Forest Farm if anyone;

http://www.forestfarm.com/search/closeup.asp?PlantID=qusu120

[Left Coast Chris]

Thanks guys.......these are pretty rare... have never found any before.  There are a couple of Cork Oak trees in Redding appearently planted by the city.   I will also try to find some acorns...... if they produce any... :P   

[SwampDonkey]

I've read that they graft cork oak to native black oak root stock.

[Left Coast Chris]

Interesting...... that would explain why the one nursery wants $12 for a one gallon Cork Oak.   Interesting that the trees are only rated down to + 10 degrees....... sounds like they may be semi tropical.  We only get down to +25 or so here so hopefully they would not be damaged.    The low temp rating can be tricky because we planted some lemons that were suposed to be good to +15 degrees and they had huge dye back at +25 degrees.... :

[SwampDonkey]

I've read they are evergreen like citrus.

[rpg52]

I collected some cork oak acorns from trees planted along a road in Lincoln, CA (Sacramento Valley) about 10+ years ago.  They have done well where I live in the Sierra foothills at 2600'.  They are live oaks, have done just fine through ~10-15 degrees F.  There are some huge ones growing on the Univ. of Calif. Davis campus.  There is a story that their planting has contributed to the spread of the toxic Amanita mushroom (Destroying Angel, I think??).  It isn't dangerous to be around but if you eat it, it ruins your liver.  It is supposed to be among the mycorrhiza fungi that live on the cork oak roots.
Farmer 77, if you visit Chico or other towns with mature trees, just collect some acorns and plant.  I probably only planted half a dozen and got two trees.  Like other oaks, they likely vary from year to year.  Try again next fall if you don't find any this fall.  Good luck.
Ray

[Left Coast Chris]

Thanks 52..... I will look harder for the acorns.   Since Im in Redding I will check around town around the cork oaks here.  Not sure if they are fertile (maybe grafted) here in Redding since I have not seen them in the past.    Did you find your acorns in the Fall like normal oaks or were they later?  Might just be the street cleaning too.

[rpg52]

Farmer 77,
Yeah, I picked them up in the late fall, they were roadside trees (since cleared to widen the road).  It had already rained so I scratched around in the leaf litter and found some.  If they are too obsessed with cleaning up, it might be hard to find.  I would be surprised if they actually graft them, they seem to do just fine on their own roots.  If you find the trees, check them several times next fall.  I'm sure they are like other oaks, with certain mast years where there are lots of acorns and other years with none.  I've noticed in my area, most of the Valley oaks didn't have many acorns, but found one small group at higher elevation that did.  I'm sure it depends on the year.  My cork oaks haven't yet borne any acorns, I'm not sure how old they need to be.  One is about 5" in diameter, the other a bit smaller, still too young I think.
Ray