CorseMachin | What Is A Tanoak Tree - Tanbark Oak Plant Info

Tanbark oak, (Notholithocarpus densiflorus), also called tanoak, evergreen tree of the beech family (Fagaceae), native to coastal areas of southern Oregon and northern California. ... The plant is related to true oaks (Quercus) and is noted for its tannin-rich bark.

What is a tanoak tree?
What is Tanoak used for?
Is Tanoak poisonous?
Where do tan oaks grow?
Are tan oak acorns edible?
Do tan oaks lose their leaves?

What is a tanoak tree?

Tanoak is a unique evergreen hardwood that belongs to the beech family (Fagaceae). It has characteristics similar to both oak and chestnut. All other 100 to 200 species of Lithocarpus are native to southeast Asia or Malaysia. In southwestern Oregon, tanoak is second to Pacific madrone as the most abundant hardwood.

What is Tanoak used for?

Tanoak wood has been used for a variety of purposes including flooring, paneling, decking, plywood, garden tools, baseball bats, and firewood. The bark has high tannin content and was once used extensively by industry in California for curing leather.

Is Tanoak poisonous?

The nut kernel is very bitter, and is inedible for people without extensive leaching, although squirrels eat them. Tanoak is one of the species most seriously affected by "sudden oak death" (Phytophthora ramorum), with high mortality reported over much of the species' range.

Where do tan oaks grow?

Tanoak evergreen grows in the wild on the West Coast of the country. The species is native to a narrow range from Santa Barbara, California north to Reedsport, Oregon. You can find the most specimens in the Coast Ranges and the Siskiyou Mountains.

Are tan oak acorns edible?

While all acorns are edible, many have such small kernels or high concentration of bitter tannins that they're not worth the effort. Miller says California Indians generally preferred tanoak acorns for their taste, but worked with whatever was most abundant at the time.

Do tan oaks lose their leaves?

Both the Live Oaks and Tan Oak don't lose their leaves probably because it is an adaptation to California's predominantly Mediterranean climate (of course, again, it is so variable according to geography). The climate is generally mild, with long periods of dryness in the summer.