Accession Count: 33
Common Name:
holly oak
Family Name:
Fagaceae
Botanical Name:
Quercus ilex
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
Quercus ilex is a medium-sized evergreen tree that can grow up to 82 feet with a spread of 68 feet. It has a turgid gray stem that is short and winding and alternating hard elliptical, oblong, or lanceolate leaves. The leaves are dark green above and pale white-grey below. It has yellowish flowers that gather in the form of catkins. It grows inedible bitter fruit, dark brown at maturity, called acorns. (1)
Compound:
Que ile
Geographic Origin:
Mediterranean
Ecozone Origin:
Palearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
It was first introduced to the United Kingdom in the 16th century. Some of the originals planted form acorns can still be found in Devon. The Greeks had several myths associated with the Holm oak and considered it sacred to Zeus.
Cultivation Notes:
The Holm oak can withstand both hot summers and cold winters. Its leaves are small to reduce the amount of water evaporation in the summer and face obliquely away from the sun to both reduce sunlight in hot summers and to protect the leaves in harsh winters. The holm oak takes well to most types of terrain excluding those with a saline nature. It prefers deep and fertile soil but accepts sandy soils as well. It needs a sunny location but can thrive in the shade as a young tree. The oak is resistant to both heat and cold and is a nice decorative tree but it grows very slowly. 1
Ethnobotany:
Though the original Quercus ilex’s acorns are inedible, several variants have been cultivated for sweeter tasting acorns that can be used as a coffee substitute. The Romans used the oak for more practical purposes, such as wood for tools and structures. The Holm oak has strong rot resistant wood that is easy to stain and glue (3). The ancient Greeks used the leaves of the Holm oak for fortune telling.
Height:
20 - 50 feet
Width:
20 - 50 feet
Growth Rate:
Slow Growing
Grow Season:
Summer
Flower Season:
Color:
Yellow
Function:
Spread:
Allergen:
Allergenic
Invasive:
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Water Use:
Citations:
[1. http://www.botanical-online.com/english/holmoak.htm]
[2. http://herbs-treatmentsandtaste.blogspot.com]
[3. http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/holm-oak/]
[4. http://apps.kew.org/trees/?page_id=91]
