Quercus ilex (Fagaceae)
Holm oak is a medium-sized evergreen tree that can grow up to 20–27 meters tall and is native to the Mediterranean region.
Description:
The tree has finely fissured, blackish bark and leathery evergreen leaves. The leaves remain on the tree for about 1 to 2 years before falling off and being replaced by new ones. The leaves are dark green on top and pale white-gray with dense, short hairs underneath. Leaf shape is variable; mature leaves are 4–8 centimeters long and 1–3 cm wide. The tree blooms around May with golden-yellow male catkins. Female flowers are greenish and inconspicuous. After fertilization, fairly long, one- to two-centimeter-long, egg-shaped acorns appear on the young, yellow-felted twigs of the tree or shrub.
Two subspecies:
There are two known subspecies:
Quercus ilex subspecies ilex is endemic to southern France, Italy, the former Yugoslavia, Greece, and eastern Turkey.
Quercus ilex subspecies rotundifolia is endemic to Spain, Portugal, and Northwest Africa.
This species also occurs in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, where it grows in cedar forests.
Ourholm oak:
We received our holm oak from Pieter Zwijnenburg like a tiny plant, perhaps only 15 cm tall.
When I planted it in the garden, I wasn’t very confident that it would survive its first winter, but it’s been about six years now, and our holm oak has never suffered any winter damage and is already about 2 meters tall. It’s in a very sunny spot in dry, sandy soil.
Care:
Full sun, perhaps a spot against a south-facing wall, and good drainage. Since the tree can grow very large in the future, it’s a good idea to give it plenty of space when you plant it.
Cuttings:
It seems that propagating the holm oak by cuttings is quite difficult, if not impossible; grafting is possible, but sowing is preferred.
Sowing:
Sow the seeds in moist soil and place the seed tray in the refrigerator for a month. The acorns should be pushed deep into the soil and not sown near the surface. After a month, remove the seed tray from the refrigerator; the acorns should begin to sprout after another month.
Hardy:
Here at Quercus ilex, it is fully hardy, without any form of protection
Availability:
Directplantsells trees in a variety of sizes, up to a trunk circumference of 55 cm.
Update 11/16/2017:
Due to a redesign of the garden, we removed our Quercus ilex from the garden. This was also because the plant grows much more in width than in height. After a cold winter, the crown died off, and in the years that followed, the plant hardly grew any taller, but spread out much more in width.