TIL that cork flooring and wine corks are created using the bark of the Cork Oak tree. The tree isn't cut down. The bark is harvested & begins to regenerate quickly to be harvested every 7 years. The Cork Oak isn't harmed & is therefore a sustainable resource.

Authored by edenproject.com and submitted by thatirishguy0

This is one of the few trees able to regenerate their bark. Cork is a kind of bark where the dead cells are waterproofed by a wax called suberin. Most trees produce some cork but the cork oak produces lots!

One cubic centimetre of cork contains 40 million air cells. It is warm to the touch, durable, light, bouncy, chemically inert, and the suction-cup effect of the cut cells makes it stick to a bottle neck.

Cork oak wood pastures are rich in plant and animal biodiversity. Buying cork products supports cork oak wood pastures and their biodiversity.

South-western Europe (France, Corsica, Italy, Sardinia, Sicily, Portugal, Spain) and northern Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia). The cork oak favours acidic soils, requires a hot dry summer season and a cold and moist winter, and can be found in open woodlands, on hills and lower slopes at 300–1000m altitude.

Cork is one of the world's most important renewable forest products. The cork bark is stripped off the tree in a thick cylindrical layer. Each tree is harvested every nine years.

A single tree can cork 4,000 bottles. Fine wines can develop through the happy marriage between cork and a bottle made tall enough to lie on its side. The wine ‘breathes’ through the cork as it ages.

Cork is a biodegradeable alternative to environmentally unfriendly PVC flooring. It is hard-wearing, very sound absorbent and agreeable to walk on due to reflection of warmth and its natural bounce. Cork is also used in insulation, floats, engine gaskets and even skirts, heels and handbags!

Cork oaks have been grown since the Middle Ages in Portugal and Spain in open woodlands grazed by sheep and cattle. High-value ham is obtained from the Iberian pigs that thrive on the fallen acorns. No fertilisers, herbicides or irrigation are used. This traditional farming supports a remarkable abundance and variety of rare and endangered wildlife, including the black vulture, booted eagle, Bonelli’s eagle and short-toed eagle, which make giant nests in cork-trees and eats snakes.

Ritz527 on March 9th, 2021 at 15:59 UTC »

Another fun fact, nearly all trees have cork bark as a protective layer around them. The Cork Oak simply has it in incredible excess as a protection against forest fires. Cork is naturally fire-resistant.

_bigfish on March 9th, 2021 at 15:52 UTC »

And the best ham in the world is jamon de bellota (acorn ham). It comes from letting special breed of black footed pigs free range in the cork oak forests and the pigs engorge themselves on the acorn.

The oil in the acorn permeates the pigs, causing the melting temperature of the pig fat to be almost room temperature.

After packing the ham in salt for 10 days, the ham is hung for two years, causing perfection to occur. Once you go bellota, you never go back.

The cost of the ham is about $1200 US for back leg.

Plot twist. Due to the introduction of cork alternatives, cork oak forests are being deforested, causing Jamon de bellota to becoming a lost food item.

TradeApe on March 9th, 2021 at 15:33 UTC »

It also beats teak decks on boats in every way. Lasts a long time, doesn't get hot in the sun compared to wood and it's easier to fit. Anyone up for a teak deck replacement should look into cork.