Cork woods

The cork oak (Quercus suber L.) is a species spontaneously growing in southern Europe,  in wide areas mainly situated in Portugal, Spain, and in Italy almost exclusively in Sardinia, and in some areas in northern Africa.

This oak prefers mild climates not too rainy. In Sardinia it spontaneously grows up to 900 metres above sea level.  It can live for centuries and become quite tall, even more than 20 metres. 

Younger cork oaks have got a thick external bark deep irregular cracks on its surface. That  bark is called virgin cork bark (it. sugherone) and it has to be removed for the first time.

After a period of almost 10 years (SAR, LR n.9 / 1994), cork that has grown in the meantime, year after year, more compact and regular,  named reproduction cork bark may be extracted, and started to more valuable processing.