Oak tree saplings: price per tree, uses, differences from oak, and whether the fruit is edible

The oak tree is also known as the oak and the Mongolian oak. It is a deciduous or evergreen tree, with a few species being shrubs. It is a premium tree species for landscaping and shaped features in courtyards and villa areas. So how much does an oak tree sapling cost per tree? What uses does it have? How is it different from the oak? Can its fruit be eaten? According to Fagaceae data, they are actually the same plant, just called by different names.

How much does an oak tree sapling cost per tree?

The genus Quercus is divided into the subgenus Quercus (white oak, Turkish oak and red oak) and the subgenus Cyclobalanopsis.

Among them, the latest price for Flame red oak saplings is around 6.5 per plant. The leaves are dark green in spring and summer, a small number of leaves turn bright red in early autumn while the rest remain green, and the red-leaf period lasts nearly two months. Growth is moderate, with an annual growth diameter of about 1.5-2 cm, and it has good development prospects in the future colored-leaf nursery stock market.

What uses does the oak tree have?

1. The wood is a sturdy, rot-resistant timber, and the bark, leaves, cupules and extracts are essential materials for tanning, printing and dyeing, and fisheries. The thick cork layer of the cork bark can be used as industrial cork material. Professor Yin Huaining introduced that it can also be burned to make charcoal.

2. The leaves of the oak tree contain moisture, protein, carbohydrates, fat, ash, cellulose and other components, and can be used to raise silkworms. The fruit contains a lot of starch and can be used to make acorn wine, alcohol, starch, acorn oil, etc., and can also be used as feed. The tannins extracted from oak bark, leaves, cupules and acorns are essential materials for the tanning industry, printing and dyeing industry, and fisheries. The thick cork layer of the cork bark can be used as industrial cork material.

3. Oak trees can also be used to cultivate various edible fungi such as wood ear, shiitake and Armillaria mellea. Oak trees are widely distributed in China, highly adaptable, and are not very demanding regarding soil, temperature and so on. They are suitable for large-scale planting. Oak wood has extremely wide uses, and the utilization value of oak seeds is even higher. The starch content of oak seeds is one of the highest among the seeds of many forest trees, which determines that their development and utilization value is very high, and their prospects are quite broad.

Can the fruit of the oak tree be eaten?

1. The acorn is a fruit of an oak tree. It is relatively common in the mountainous areas of eastern Hubei. It resembles a silkworm cocoon, so it is also called chestnut cocoon. The acorn has a hard outer shell, brownish red, with an inner kernel like a peanut kernel, and is rich in starch. When Du Fu was poverty-stricken, he used it from time to time to fill his stomach.

2. Acorns are edible. However, some acorns naturally contain large amounts of tannic acid, making them bitter, astringent, and potentially irritating if eaten raw. This is especially true of the dark-colored acorns of red oaks. The light-colored acorns of white oaks are lower in tannic acid, are naturally sweet, and can perhaps be eaten either raw or cooked. The basic cooking technique involves boiling the mature shelled acorns for several hours, frequently changing the water. During this process, the tannic acid is leached out. After boiling, the acorns can be eaten directly; they can also be roasted, baked, or ground into flour. Acorn flour has an enhanced slight nutty flavor if the acorns are given a light roasting before grinding. Being rich in oils, acorn flour spoils or molds easily and must be stored carefully. Acorns are sometimes also prepared as a coffee substitute.

3. Acorns are rich in calories, with 510 kcal per 100 grams. Their composition is 6% water, 54% carbohydrates, 8% protein, and 32% oils. Acorns are high in calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and niacin.