PlantFiles: Holly Oak, Evergreen Oak, Holm Oak
Quercus ilex

Theres a few of these in a local park, they are quite odd looking trees, very like holly aprt from the size. Seems to be two growth patterns, sprawling trees with a short trunk and large canopy of branches while others have a taller central trunk that rises to most of the height of the tree. They bear no resemblance whatever (apart from producing acorns) to the common oak, quercus robur. The bark doesn't develop the heavy texturing of the common oak, remains fairly smooth, greyish brown in colour.

This tree is present around all the country of Spain. It grows here in almost all kind of soils and climate conditions, except extremelly arid or too much cold weather. The tree is very long-lived.

The most extensive area of Holly oak in my country is all the middle, southern and soutwest parts of Spain. At all these regions Quercus ilex grows healthy with a medium size tree look. The tree has great importance at the economy of these regions (sistema de dehesas). Iberian pigs are feeded with the acorns, getting the iberian ham (jamón de pata negra) which is very appreciated. The acorns also are availed as cattle feed when the pasturage becomes scarce in the fall.

In the north part of it's range and in colder mountain areas (up to 1000 meters altitude), Quercus ilex grows normally as a shrub and is not so common. I have seen Quercus ilex in places with ocasionally 6b frosts in winter and cool summers and they survive, but off course they prefer warmer climates, with mild-cold winters and hot, dry summers. It is highly drought tolerance, but likes moist winters. As well Quercus ilex has some tolerance of shade. I have seen trees growing in deep woodland places, although they looked very weak.

The bad thing of these trees is that they are very slow growing. You can plant a young Quercus ilex tree and surely you will be old and the tree will be still small (even your grandchilds would not see it as a medium size tree)

I don’t quite like evergreen oaks. They are messy, they grow in different shapes and they look odd.
Anyway! Despite this, I still give them a chance to live and have a life. I propagate and grow them too as any other tree I do have on my collection.
These acorns germinated in my fridge, so I had to dig in a square of soil I have in my backyard and ease their hunger for growth!
I’ve took these acorns from a tree growing in a park in the capital city of Mendoza.