Oak

The mighty oak tree has been sacred to many cultures, as they can grow in a number of different biomes. Because of this, some oak species are evergreen and some are deciduous. Many older trees have a wide bold crown, which lend them a regal profile. But to the true regality of the oak is the hardiness of its trunk. It has been the building wood, the strong wood of boats and industry for at least a thousands years. Wine and whiskey barrels are made of oak as it is full of tannins, smell the wood in the wine, smell the heart of the oak. Acoustic instruments echo in oak homes. Many mushroom and truffle species find themselves in symbiotic relationship to the oak.

Lobed or leaves like deer antlers multiply along the branches. But, perhaps most poignant symbolically, is the acorn which relies on its mammals and birds to disperse it.

The oak is toxic to humans and many other mammals except for squirrels, chipmunks, and domestic pigs, due to the tannins within the tree.

It has also been known as a thunder tree, or related the gods of storm because it is more likely to be hit by lightning than other trees of the same height.