Portuguese oak
Quercus faginea
EmergentClimax
Production
The patient anchor of the line: a tough native oak that shrugs off drought and cold on dry limestone hills, slowly building a permanent canopy and acorn crop.
Tolerances & traits
- Strata
- Emergent
- Lifecycle
- Climax
- Soil preference
- Loam, Rocky
- Soil pH range
- 6 – 8.5
- Min. temperature
- -18°C
- Min. rainfall
- 450 mm/year
- Wind tolerance
- High
- Frost tolerance
- High
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Irrigation needed
- Low
How to manage it
Plant as a permanent canopy anchor for acorns and shade; lift the crown gradually as it matures to let understory light through.
Watch out for
Not a chop-and-drop biomass source - slow to recover from hard pruning and casts dense shade once mature, so space understory species accordingly.
Design your line to see how your land fits Portuguese oak.
Start designing your line →Related species