Sweet acorn holm oaks
Recovering sweet acorn holm oaks varieties from Mallorca
The oak (Oak holly) is one of the most emblematic trees of the Mediterranean. The vast majority of wild oaks in Mallorca produce acorns with a high content of tannins that give them a bitter and astringent taste. But we also find oaks with “sweet” acorns, which have been used both for animal consumption and for human consumption (raw, roasted or in flour).
In Mallorca, these oak trees have traditionally been propagated through grafting, a specific technique that has been handed down from generation to generation, and which on our island is the only place where this culture is preserved.
From 2019, thanks to the collaboration of Balanotrees and through an Applied Research Grant funded by FOGAIBA, we were able to identify and characterize part of the sweet acorn oaks of Mallorca. Here you can check the results of this latest project.
The different varieties or varietal types of oak that we characterized were incorporated into the Catalogue of local varieties of agricultural interest in the Balearic Islands.
Objectives
• Preserve the varieties of sweet acorn oak prospected in Mallorca.
• Give recognition and disseminate the natural and cultivated biodiversity of Mallorca.
• Promote landscapes that integrate holm oaks with crop fields.
• Increase the diversity of trees in the agricultural environment, to facilitate pest control and offer refuge to associated fauna and flora.
• Capture CO2 through the planting and maintenance of oak trees.
• Create economic opportunities from the use of sweet acorns and promote their nutritional value and potential in various uses (human and animal food, cosmetics, etc.)
• Involve and educate the general population, through training courses, about the importance of the acorn oak and the conservation of biodiversity.
• Train volunteers and people interested in specialized oak grafting techniques, to ensure the continuity and expansion of the project.
• Contribute to the task of promoting the improvement of the quality of life and the training of Estel de Llevant users.
Conservation collections
The Association, with the aim of preserving the identified and prospected varieties, each campaign allocates several specimens of each variety to permanent conservation collections:
Mortitx Public Estate (Escorca)
Can Pistola (Felanitx)
You will find information about commercialized varieties in the section Fruit tree nursery.
Donate to the sweet oak nursery project
The preservation of the sweet garlic oak varieties is another milestone in the recovery of Mallorca's cultivated biodiversity and the cultural and gastronomic heritage of our island.