The cork tree, the tree with plum-like wood and stress-reducing flowers

All my childhood I hated arbutus trees. In the village in the Bărăgan, where I spent all my vacations, we had in the yard a few big cork oaks. From them my mother used to make "țuică", a kind of water with which you wash the barrel of "pălincă", if you ask the people from the Ardel :). In order to make sure that the brandy didn't come out sour, my grandmother decreed that only very ripe cor cor cork-oaks, i.e. those that had fallen on the ground, should be picked in the morning, in the cool. So every day she woke me up early, before "let the sun rise high and the cork oaks blossom". Every morning, under the cork oaks, I would find a sea of yellow or red cork oaks, even if I had left the place clean the day before. I was trying to rebel, but it didn't really work with my mother and I would inevitably end up in the sea on the cor cor cor cor cor cor corcoduces that I gathered on my knees.

I learned that the flowers of the dogwood are used in herbal medicine to relieve stress. This made me get over my childhood "trauma" and give it due attention, especially since the wood is very similar to the plum. I think these flowers have worked over the years for me. 🙂

The plum's neglected brother

The cordudu, with the scientific name Prunus cerasifera or Prunux myrobolana, is so similar to the plum that it is often mistaken for a plum. In English you find it as cherry plum (cherry plum) or myrobalan plum. It is native to south-eastern Europe (Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece), western Asia, the Caucasus, as far as China and Pakistan. It has been acclimatized in many parts of Western Europe (France, England), the USA and Australia. In the east of France, in Metz, near the German border, there is a mirabelle festival in August - Mirabelle Mirabelle Festival – which even elects a cornucopia queen.

In our country, the dogwood grows spontaneously at the edge of forests in the lowland and hilly areas of the south and west or is cultivated. It is not very fussy about soils, but prefers drained, loamy and stony ones. It is resistant to frost and drought, loves light and therefore grows better alone than in plantations.

The arbutus is considered a shrub that grows no taller than 8-10 m, rarely reaching 15 m. The trunk is short and irregular, with grayish-brown, smooth, glossy bark that thickens over time. It flowers early, late March-early April, before it flowers, a harbinger of spring. Its many white flowers, singly or in pairs, are a delight. The oval, midribbed leaves have sparse hairs on the back, are 2 to 7 cm long and drooping. The fruits are round, cherry-like, 2-3 cm in diameter, green at first and yellow or red as they ripen in late July. They are juicy with a sweet-sour taste.

Cork oak - appearance and characteristics

In cross-section you can clearly see the difference between the albumen and the heartwood. The sapwood is pale yellow, but oxidizes quickly after cutting and turns a beautiful orange-orange. The heartwood is reddish purplish-brown with coloration ranging, like the plum, from pink to green and grey.

The fiber is fine but shows twists due to growth defects and knots. The annual rings are well demarcated, and the pores are small, round and scattered throughout the mass, with crowding in the earlywood zone. The pores are often filled with gums and minerals.

I couldn't find any mention of the density of corkwood, but I understand that it is a heavy, dense and hard wood. I found one mention of it being heavier than water, but I think that is an exaggeration. Because of the small size of the trunk it is hard to get large pieces of lumber. It cracks a lot immediately after cutting, so it is recommended to cut it into planks as soon as possible.

Because of its small size, corkwood is worked more by hand than mechanically, with problems occurring in the knot and twisted grain areas. It is turned and carved and used by craftsmen to make spoons. It is glued and finished without any particular problems. Due to the salts in the pores, discoloration may occur when wicking. In straight-fibered areas it polishes well, and the appearance is smooth and slightly shiny.

Flowers, fruits, dogwood

Corkwood is a wood for craftsmen. It is used to make spoons, jewelry or bowls. Like plum and plumireșul, can be used at smoking meats, but do not overdo it to avoid giving the meat a bitter taste. It is used as firewood, but not in an open fireplace because of its tendency to crack and spread sparks.

As a fruit tree it is used for grafting plum, cherry, persimmon, peach. Approximately 90% of plums are grafted on cork oaks. The fresh, invigorating aroma of the blossoms is soothing, as well as aiding digestion and stimulating respiration. They are used in naturopathic medicine to reduce stress, increase tonicity and regain control over thoughts. The fruits contain potassium, calcium, vitamin B and vitamin C and are excellent for regulating metabolism and the nervous system.

The fruit is not only used to make brandy, but also jams, jams, marmalades, marmalades, even wine or liqueur. When green, they are used to sweeten soups. They are a staple ingredient in Georgian cuisine, used in sauces and even some main dishes.

I hope you find the above information interesting. As always, additions are welcome. And if you have any questions or queries, please leave them below in the space provided. I will be sure to reply.