Chapman’s oak
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Quercus chapmanii
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Fagaceae
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Landscape Uses:
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Accent tree in dry soils. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
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Availability: |
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Grown by one or two native plant nurseries in South Florida. |
Description: |
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Small to medium tree or large shrub with broad-spreading branches and a round-topped crown. Trunks often leaning, to 6 inches in diameter. Bark gray, broken into irregular plates. Leaves semi-deciduous, leathery, usually dark green when mature, about 2-3 inches long. |
Height: |
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Typically 15-25 feet in height in South Florida; to 45 feet in Florida. Can be as broad as tall. |
Growth Rate: |
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Slow. |
Range: |
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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. |
Habitats: |
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Scrub, scrubby flatwoods and xeric hammocks. |
Soils: |
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Moist to dry, well-drained sandy soils, with or without humusy top layer. |
Nutritional Requirements: |
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Low to moderate; it can grow in nutrient poor soils or soils with some organic content. |
Salt Water Tolerance: |
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Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water. |
Salt Wind Tolerance: |
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Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation. |
Drought Tolerance: |
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High; does not require any supplemental water once established. |
Light Requirements: |
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Full sun. |
Flower Color: |
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Green. |
Flower Characteristics: |
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Inconspicuous. Pollination is by wind. |
Flowering Season: |
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Spring. |
Fruit: |
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Brown acorn. Edible. |
Wildlife and Ecology: |
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Provides significant food and cover for wildlife. Larval host plant for Horace's duskywing (Erynnis horatius), Juvenal's duskywing (Erynnis juvenalois), red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops) and white-M hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album) butterflies; possible larval host fof oak hairstreak (Fixsenia favonius). The acorns are utilized by squirrels. |
Horticultural Notes: |
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Can be grown from seed. |
Comments: |
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