Trade names: Bog Oak, subfossil Oak, Black Oak.
Country of origin: Europe
Occurrence: Europe; these are oaks that grew 600 to 8,500 years ago, were felled by natural events and then began the process of charring in gravel beds under water. The dark color is caused by tannin reactions with ferrous water; the intensity of the color increases with the duration of storage.
Uses: Veneer wood, sliced wood for face veneer, furniture, paneling, parquet.
Character: The term „bog oak“ stands for fossil stem or sessile oaks, which have lain in the bog for centuries or millennia. Stored in the bog, the tannic acids of the wood react with the marsh gases of the bog, causing such wood to become very discolored. Salvaged logs reveal their inner richness especially when they are processed into veneers. The bog oak then shows a discoloration ranging from blue to green-gray to deep black. In its texture, the decorative coarse-pored wood shows itself in a striking striped or figured form and especially radially with conspicuously broad wood rays.
Special features: Bog oaks are usually found when dredging lakes or gravel pits in lowlands of large rivers. In 2007, an oak trunk was found in Bavaria, the beginning of growth of which was dated to 4900 B.C. and the age determination of which showed that the oak was about 470 years old.