Holm oak
Quercus ilex
EmergentClimax
Production
A rock-solid Mediterranean anchor: an evergreen oak that shrugs off heat and drought and feeds wildlife with acorns while holding the high canopy for decades. Slow-growing, with dense shade.
Tolerances & traits
- Strata
- Emergent
- Lifecycle
- Climax
- Soil preference
- Rocky, Loam
- Soil pH range
- 5.5 – 8.5
- Min. temperature
- -18°C
- Min. rainfall
- 400 mm/year
- Wind tolerance
- High
- Frost tolerance
- High
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Irrigation needed
- Low
How to manage it
Plant as a long-term climax anchor for acorns and shelter; lift the canopy gradually with structural pruning to let light reach the understory beneath its dense shade.
Watch out for
Casts very dense shade and grows slowly, so avoid crowding light-demanding species beneath it while young; acorns are toxic to some livestock in quantity.
Design your line to see how your land fits Holm oak.
Start designing your line →Related species