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Myrtle oak Quercus myrtifolia
Fagaceae
Copyright by: George D. Gann
General Landscape Uses:
Accent tree in dry soils.
Availability:
Grown by one or two native plant nurseries in South Florida.
Description: Small tree or large shrub with a broad-spreading round-topped crown. Trunks often twisted, to 8 inches in diameter. Bark dark gray to brown, generally smooth, and slightly furrowed near the base. Leaves shiny, about 1-2 inches long, the edges usually rolled downward.
Dimensions: Typically 15-30 feet in height in South Florida; to 36 feet in Florida. Can be as broad as tall.
Growth Rate: Slow.
Range:
Southeastern United States south to Miami-Dade and Collier counties. For a digitized image of Elbert Little's Florida range map, visit the Exploring Florida website.
Soils: Moist to dry, well-drained sandy soils, with or without humusy top layer.
Nutritional Requirements: Low to moderate; it can grow in nutrient poor soils or soils with some organic content.
Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance: Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation.
Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun.
Flower Color: Green.
Flower Characteristics: Inconspicuous. Pollination is by wind.
Flowering Season: Spring.
Fruit: Brown acorn. Edible.
Wildlife and Ecology: Provides significant food and cover for wildlife. Larval host plant for Horace's duskywing (Erynnis horatius), red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops) and white-M hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album) butterflies; possible larval host for Juvenal's duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis) and oak hairstreak (Fixsenia favonius) butterflies. The acorns are utilized by squirrels and the threatened Florida scrub jay.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed.
References: Nelson 2003, Schaefer & Tanner 1997
Comments: See a 2019 post on the Treasure Coast Natives blog on myrtle oaks and their micro mites.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of suggested ZIP codes from South Florida north to southern Brevard, Osceola, Polk, and Pasco counties.
