Giant Oak Creaking In The Wind

The ancient tree sways graciously with the changing winds. It’s branches quiver ever so slightly then bend softly in midair as they come back to their original position. A few leaves begin to scatter beneath it, and create a soft carpet underfoot. An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus (Latin "oak tree"), having approximately 600 extant species. The common name "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus. The genus is native to the Northern Hemisphere, and includes deciduous and evergreenspecies extending from cool temperate to tropical latitudes in Asia and the Americas. North America contains the largest number of oak species, with approximately 90 occurring in the United States. Mexico has 160 species, of which 109 are found nowhere else. The second greatest center of oak diversity is China, which contains approximately 100 species.