photo #7350387

The Whistler Tree, located in the Alentejo region of Portugal, is the largest and oldest cork tree in the world. It was planted in 1783Cork for various uses is produced from the spongy bark of the oak (Quercus suber). The trees are native to the Mediterranean and live on average 200 years. It takes 25 years for cork oaks to reach a diameter of 70 cm (27 inches) when their bark is first stripped. It regenerates naturally, but the next harvest does not occur before 9-18 years. The cork from the first two harvests is of very poor quality and is not suitable for bottle caps. Starting from the third harvest, over 50 years after their planting, cork oaks produce quality material. The bark is stripped with an axe, carefully so as not to damage the tree itself, and left outdoors for 6 months to stabilize.The Whistler tree has been harvested more than twenty times in its life. The 1991 harvest is the most famous and largest ever recorded:2,645.55 pounds of bark was removed from the tree.that bark record earned well over 100,000 individual caps.Just for comparison - if an average cork tree is harvested, there will be about 100 pounds of bark, enough corks for about 4000 bottles.Credtis to the rightful owner