Quercus acuta (Japanese evergreen oak, "Akagashi")

Japanese name: アカガシ （赤樫）
Scientific name: Quercus acuta

[Overview]
An evergreen tree growing in the mountains, reaching 20 m in height and 80 cm in trunk diameter.
The bark is grayish brown and peels off in scales as it ages.
Young branches and young leaves are at first densely covered with reddish-brown soft hairs.
Leaves are simple and alternate, somewhat clustered toward the branch tips, elliptic to oblong, 7–13 cm long, with an abruptly pointed tip; they are rather hard, leathery and thick, and the upper surface is glossy dark green.
The leaf margin is usually entire, but sometimes has indistinct wavy serrations only at the tip.
The leaf stalk is 2–4 cm long.
The leaves take on a reddish-brown tinge when dry.
There are male and female flowers.
The male flowers form catkins 6–12 cm long, densely covered with brown soft hairs, several of which hang from the lower part of new branches.
The female inflorescences stand upright in the upper leaf axils of new branches.
The fruit is an ovate to oblong-ovate nut (acorn) about 1 cm across, ripening in autumn of the following year; the cupule (acorn cap) is cup-shaped, and the involucre scales form rings, with about 10 rings.

[Uses]
The bark and leaves are used as a mordant and as a tanning agent.
The wood is used for construction, such as decorative alcove posts, and for utensils.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed.
The germination rate drops if the acorns are dried, so sow them immediately or store them kept moist until spring.
It prefers sun, good drainage and fertile soil.
Rainfall is sufficient.
Apply organic fertilizer as fertilizer in winter.
Pests and diseases include powdery mildew and teppo-mushi (longhorn beetle larvae).

[Notes]
The Japanese name comes from the strongly reddish color of the wood.

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