• Common name: Common oak
• Scientific name: Quercus robur, L.
• Honorary Doctorate: Francisco Torreblanca García (June 27, 2013)

ORIGIN: Europe and the Caucasus region.

CHARACTERISTICS:

• A robust, deciduous tree with a majestic bearing.
• Short, very thick, straight trunk with deeply fissured bark.
• It has hanging acorns with a sweet and slightly bitter taste.

INTERESTING FACTS:

• The Romans used the specific name *robur* to designate trees with hard, very strong wood.
• The famous Tree of Guernica (Vizcaya) was a centuries-old oak, a symbol of the Basque people’s freedoms, now withered and replaced by their descendants. At this site, an oath is sworn in by all Basque Lehendakaris (Presidents of the Basque Government).

USES:

• ORNAMENTAL: Used in gardens for its harmonious structure and shade.
• INDUSTRIAL: The hardness of oak wood, its well-marked growth rings, and its resistance to rot even underwater are qualities that are used for shipbuilding and for the manufacture of staves for barrels and casks for wines and liquors.