On a recent afternoon, Stephanie Carrie walked up to a cork oak tree on Potomac Avenue, a residential street in Mid-City, and put her hand up against the bark. She looked up at the tree in awe ...

Cal Poly hosted a demonstration of a rare harvest of a cork oak tree, which grows on the San Luis Obispo campus, on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. The inside of the cork bark is brightly colored and cool ...

"The cork oak is the only tree that I know of where you can harvest the bark and it will regrow. It is very unique in that way," Griswold said. A tree can be harvested for almost 150 years.

The cork oak is Portugal's national tree, protected since 1209, and cutting one down or even pruning it without permission can land you with a hefty fine.

Cork oak trees grow best in Mediterranean climates, like the Central Coast. After a tree has initially been harvested, it will take another nine years before the bark can be harvested again.

A cork oak tree is shown in an undated image. (De Agostini via Getty Images) by: Cameron Kiszla. Posted: Oct 21, 2024 / 11:39 AM PDT. Updated: Oct 21, 2024 / 11:39 AM PDT. SHARE.

Cork comes from the bark of a cork oak tree, which can be harvested every seven years. “The trees are climate change resistant as they need little water, and can resist fires pretty well ...

Cork is sourced from the cork oak tree, and is one of Portugal’s biggest exports. During forest fires, the top layer of bark chars and protects the tree underneath.

The cork is harvested from the outer bark of the cork oak tree every nine years — a process that does not harm the tree. This makes cork a renewable resource as well as a powerful carbon sink to ...