Quercus virginiana

This is a medium–large evergreen tree that originates from the southeastern US and is considered to be an iconic tree in its place of origin. The trunk is grooved, as is characteristic of oak trees, in dark brown, tending toward gray. The wood is very strong and previously was used to build boats. It leaves are oval and smooth, reminiscent of the olive tree to a certain extent. The top of the leave is glossy in a dark green, and the underside is gray. Even though the tree is considered to be evergreen, it actually sheds its leaves just before flowering and the bloom of new leaves (similarly to Quercus suber) so that there is no full fall display. That is, the tree is almost never bare, and it appears full of greenery almost year round.

Its branches grow at interesting angles that create a broad and sculptural canopy that creates an interesting canopy and lots of shade (similarly to Quercus ithaburensis). It is also relatively easy to design. The tree develops a particularly strong root network that is known to run above ground as well and enables it to withstand strong winds (like hurricanes in the US, for instance). The tree is rather resistant to saline sea spray, and it grows on coastal plains in the US. We estimate that it will be well suited as a second- and third-line coastal plant. It prefers hot climates and requires auxiliary watering only until it is established, after which it needs watering only in extremely hot conditions. It is resistant to powdery mildew and does not suffer from sooty mold (unlike its siblings – Q. ilex, Q. ithaburensis and Q. suber). The tree grows quickly and is long-lived. The tree’s acorns are relatively small, are dark brown to black and are glossy. They can appear on their own or in clusters. In Israel, these acorns develop almost imperceptibly, both in terms of their appearance on the tree and in terms of detritus. There are a few such trees in Israel that are about 40 years old. To this day, for a reason that is not completely clear, it seems that the tree does not flower in Israel, and its flowers do not develop. Therefore, the tree is only propagated vegetatively in Israel, and thus we benefit from exemplary uniformity of the cultivar, including all its excellent properties. It can be assumed that this is a dioecious species and the individuals that were brought to Israel decades ago were male. Due to the excellent properties mentioned above, we see Quercus virginiana as an outstanding and especially popular cultivar for boulevards, and we recommend planting it in trenches to allow optimal development.

More in the same family: Quercus suber | Quercus ithaburensis | Quercus ilex |Quercus robur | Quercus robur ‘Fastigiata’ | Quercus calliprinos | Quercus virginiana | Hybrid Quercus suber x Q. ithaburensis ‘Goliath’ | Chestnut oak | Quercus libani | Quercus boissieri | Hybrid Quercus suber x Q. libani ‘Eliyahu’