You are bidding on 12 SAWTOOTH OAK ACORNS - Quercus acutissima .
Native to Japan, China, and Korea, is a species introduced because of its rapid establishment and heavy fruit production at an early age, serving as a source of food in late summer and throughout autumn for wildlife.
As one of the fastest growing trees in its youth, the Sawtooth Oak is an attractive shade tree with dark lustrous summer foliage and clear yellow to golden brown fall leaves. Adaptable to any soil condition except alkaline.
Fruits are large oval acorns (to 1 1/2” long), with spiny, scaly cups that extend to approximately 2/3 the acorn length.
Grows 40'-60' with a 40' to 60' spread.
( Zones 5-9 )
Culture - Best grown in rich, humusy, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Adapts to a wide range of soils. Tolerant of heat and humidity. First respectable crops of acorns may occur as early as 10 years.
Medicinal use : The stem bark is used to clean foul sores. The seeds are used in the treatment of diarrhea , menorhagia and gastrointestinal hypertrophy. The cupule (seed cup) is astringent. Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of hemorrhages, chronic diarrhea, dysentery etc.
Edible parts : Seed - cooked. The seed is up to 25 mm long. It can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. The seed contains bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds . Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. Young leaves - cooked. A famine food when all else fails. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute.
Other uses : A mulch of the leaves repels slugs, grubs etc, though fresh leaves should not be used as these can inhibit plant growth. Oak galls are excrescences that are sometimes produced in great numbers on the tree and are caused by the activity of the larvae of different insects.A black dye is obtained from the seed cups. Wood - used for boat building and construction. The wood is also used for fuel and charcoal.