The cork oak is very similar to the holm oak, but can be distinquished by its less dense foliage and the thick covering of cork on its trunk and branches. The cork is formed from layers of cells which remain attached to the tree after dying. This means that the species is well adapted to the mediterranean climate and to surviving the frequent forest fires. During a fire, the thick cork layer protects the most sensitive, interior tissues of the plant, in such a way that the tree does not die and shoots out again later.

Cork oaks grow in slightly moist areas with siliceous soils in precoastal and coastal regions. In Catalonia they are found in largest numbers in the regions of el Gironès, la Selva and el Baix Empordà.