The Garden in Heraldry: The Great Oak of the Forest
An Eastern black oak (Quercus velutina) outside The Cloisters.?? Photograph by Theo Margelony
Its wood is strong and hard and durable. Its beams supported high roofs over castles and churches. Its boards closed off doorways and gateways, denying passage to all but the most obstinate or determined, and were used to create interior floors from small chambers to large halls. Panels of it were shaped and carved into chests and choir stalls. Its planks were worked into ships and bridges, wagons and carts. Read more »