This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)

Quercus cerris (Fagaceae)

A majestic Turkey Oak of about 300 years is located inside the wood Origlio di Lacedonia (AV). The tree’s trunk circumference is of 5.50 m and its height is of 25 m.

It is called “cerro del tesoro”, because of its bond to banditry, bandits used to hide their spoils under the tree or in its vicinities, since it was easily recognisable and inside a wood of Turkey oaks.

This little wood is a rarity between hills and mountains where people cultivate mainly cereals and trees run low.

How to reach it:

From the municipality of Lacedonia follow the indications for Monte Origlio, park and walk till reaching the Turkey oak.

Botanical characteristics:

They are located in different areas of Italy: in the Po valley, after they were introduced by men, in Friuli, where they grow spontaneously and together with oak woods on the Kras. In addition, Turkey oaks are spread in the Tuscan Maremma and in Southern Italy, while they are rare in Sicily and absent in Sardinia.

They belong to a xerophilous and mesophilous species.

The limits of Turkey oaks are established at low altitudes thanks to the presence of xerophilous holm oak woods, and at hicher altitudes by the presence of fresh beech woods.

Turkey oaks grow in plain lands, low hills till 800 m of altitude in the area of the northern Appennines and till 1000-1200 m in the Southern Appennines and Sicily.

They prefer soils of volcanic origin with subacid reaction or decalcified, but containing fresh and deep bases.

They get also used to compact-clayish, calcareous soils.

The species is heliophilous and it has a good and quick growth, if it is shadowed for the 50 % of the time.

Their wood is heavy and tough, but it is not able to resist bad weather and water like other oaks and it tends to fracture, because of this it is mainly used as firewood and it produces a good type of coal, because it does not contain tannin, an element which slows down combustion.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)