Quercus ilexHolm oak
A Mediterranean evergreen oak with a dense, rounded crown, leathery dark green leaves, silvery beneath, and a resistance to heat, drought and sea air that few shade trees have. Native, very long-lived, and as good as a single specimen as in a tall hedge or topiary.
- Evergreen, withstands heat, drought and sea air
- Dark green leaf with a silvery underside that shimmers in the wind
- Accepts hard pruning: specimen, tall hedge, windbreak or topiary
About this species
Quercus ilex reaches 10 to 20 metres in height and 10 to 18 in width, with a dense, rounded crown on a short trunk with dark, fissured bark. It grows slowly and lives for centuries, and it is the tree that structures the montado and the landscapes of the South.
The leaves, small, leathery and evergreen, are dark green above and covered in a grey down beneath, which gives the crown a silvery shimmer in the wind. The acorns ripen in autumn and feed wildlife.
It wants full sun or partial shade and adapts to poor, dry, chalky or sandy soils, as long as they drain. It withstands heat, prolonged drought, wind and coastal salt, and accepts hard pruning, which allows it to be trained as a tall hedge, a windbreak or clipped forms. It has no significant pests or diseases under normal conditions.
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