General Landscape Uses:
Shade or specimen tree.
Availability:
Available at native plant nurseries in northeast and central Florida.
Description: Medium sized deciduous tree with whitish, scaly bark. Similar in appearance to the white oak (Q. alba) but with shorter leaves 1-5 inches long, and leaves with shallower lobes.
Dimensions: Up to 130 feet in height in the Florida Panhandle. Taller than broad.
Growth Rate: Moderate.
Range:
Southern United States south to Citrus, Lake, and Volusia counties.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Habitats: Open, dry to moist, calcareous hammocks.
Soils: Dry to moist, well-drained limestone or calcareous sandy soils, with humusy top layer.
Nutritional Requirements: Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive.
Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance: Low; salt wind may burn the leaves.
Drought Tolerance: Moderate; generally requires moist soils, but tolerant of short periods of drought once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun.
Flower Characteristics: Inconspicuous.
Flowering Season: Spring.
Fruit: Acorn one half inch long.
References: Wunderlin and Hansen (
2011), Huegel (
2010
Comments: We have been adding data for this species for central and northern Florida and welcome any feedback or review. If you would like to contribute information or images, please contact George Gann via the IRC staff page.
