Evergreen oak, a beautiful evergreen tree

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Small leathery leaves, glossy dark green above and whitish underneath, stay on the branches right through winter. Native to the Mediterranean, evergreen oak (Quercus ilex) makes a manageable shade tree of 30 to 50 feet that even shrugs off sea spray — give it full sun and well-drained soil and it asks for almost nothing.

It’s a variety of oak tree usually found around the Mediterranean.

Planting evergreen oak

Evergreen oak is preferably planted in fall, before the first frost spells. The best timing is in the middle of November.

It is also possible to plant evergreen oak in spring if purchased in a container, but then you must be in a position to water it all summer long the first year.

Choose an isolated place, not too near the house because this oak can grow to be quite sizeable when fully mature. It is, however, on the smaller side for oak.

• Evergreen oak needs sun to develop well.
• Evergreen oak is perfect for seaside gardens, because it can cope well with sea spray.
• Follow the planting advice scrupulously and favor cool soil.

Although evergreen oak growth is usually a slow grower, growth accelerates if planted in the appropriate manner and watered often.

To really speed up its growth, just cut off flowers in spring and acorns after that, so that all the sap and nutrients are directed towards your evergreen oak’s growth.

Pruning and caring for evergreen oak

Caring for evergreen oak

This is a tree that requires virtually no care at all, when correctly settled in.

For this to happen, you must ensure the best planting environment and regular watering over the first year after planting.

Pruning evergreen oak

Evergreen oak doesn’t need to be pruned, but it helps to remove dead branches regularly.

On the plus side, evergreen oak does cope very well with any type of pruning, so you can shape it as tall and as wide as you wish. Although you shouldn’t go about hatracking trees, this species won’t suffer from it in the least.

Since evergreen oak does have a very nice silhouette, do try to keep it while pruning.

• Pruning evergreen oak is at the end of winter or in fall.
• Never prune during freezing, or even if freezing might occur within the following days.
• Also, never prune evergreen oak in summer when temperatures are high.

Evergreen oak: when to plant and when to prune

Timing is what makes the difference between a slow, sulking tree and one that settles in quickly. Here are the jobs the article describes, and the window for each.

Removing dead branches is the only regular task once the tree is established.

Learn more about evergreen oak

Evergreen oak, or Quercus ilex, is a species of the oak family, liked for its evergreen, cute-shaped, shiny leathery leaves that are dark green on the topside and whitish on the underside.

Evergreen oak is native to all around the Mediterranean area. Its hardiness, down to 5°F (-15°C) explains why it also survives along the Atlantic coast.

When not in the Mediterranean area, it will definitely need a lot of sun.

A common presence in scrublands together with juniper and Aleppo pine, evergreen oak also helps stabilize sand dunes along the Atlantic coast. Indeed, its powerful root system lets it dig deep for water. It is thus very good at reinforcing fleeting, crumbling soils such as dunes and gravel-like slopes.

In places like Corsica, evergreen oak acorns are fed to pigs which gives local meat a distinctive and famous taste.

Lastly, evergreen oak is also is also used to grow truffles.

Diseases and parasites infecting oak

Evergreen oak is particularly resistant to most diseases, insects and pests. It has an incredibly long lifespan, in some cases estimated to be over 1,500 or even 2,000 years.

• Oak processionary – Treating against these is difficult for tall oak trees. There are treatments against oak processionary caterpillars.
• Foliage covered with white – It is most probably powdery mildew.

• Processionary hairs irritate skin and eyes so never handle nests or caterpillars bare-handed.
• Holm oak is vulnerable to Phytophthora root rot so avoid planting it in a hollow where winter water collects and keep irrigation away from the trunk.
• Powdery mildew mainly disfigures the soft new growth and rarely kills an established tree so rake up and bin the worst affected fallen leaves.
• If you sow your own acorns, float them in water and discard those that rise, as they are usually hollow or eaten by acorn weevil grubs.