where do cork trees grow
What is Cork. Where Do Cork Trees Grow | Forest Fires and the Cork Oak | How Is Cork Harvested | Protection of Cork Trees | Cork Characteristics. Where Do Cork Trees Grow. The worlds main cork oak forests are found in Portugal, Spain, southern France, Italy, and North Africa. It is the micro climate and soil types of these regions that allow cork oaks to grow and flourish and serve as the primary source of raw material for the cork industry.
Â­Just Â­about every tree has an outer layer of cork bark, but the cork oak (Quercus suber) is the primary source of most cork products in the world, including wine bottle stoppers. These trees primarily grow in countries that run along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, where there's plenty of sunshine, low rainfall and high humidity. The countries that produce the most cork include Portugal, Algeria, Spain, Morocco, France, Italy and Tunisia.