From which tree is cork harvested?

From which tree is cork harvested? Cork is harvested from the cork oak (Quercus suber).

This evergreen oak is native to southwest Europe and northwest Africa, especially Portugal and Spain. Its thick outer bark is made of lightweight, air-filled cells containing suberin, a waxy substance that helps make cork buoyant, insulating, and water-resistant.

Harvesters carefully strip the bark from the trunk without cutting down the tree. A cork oak generally receives its first harvest at about 25 years old, then can be harvested again every 9 to 12 years as the bark regrows. The earliest harvests produce lower-grade material; later harvests provide the smoother cork commonly used for wine stoppers.

A common mix-up is confusing the cork oak with other oaks, including holm oak and red oak. Those trees may produce ordinary bark or acorns, but Quercus suber is the principal commercial source of natural cork. Cork is also used in flooring, insulation, footwear, cricket-ball cores, and other products.