Photo: Richtid, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Bear Oak (Scrub Oak)
Quercus ilicifolia
Also called scrub oak.
The scrub oak of pine barrens and ridgetops: tough, fire-adapted and a powerhouse host for moths and butterflies.
RareWildlife valueDrought tolerant
- Type
- Shrub
- Mature height
- 6–20 ft
- USDA zones
- 4–8
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Sun
- Full
- Soil moisture
- Dry
210
Bear oak ranges from Maine to the mountains of North Carolina on the poorest sands and rock. It resprouts from the root crown after fire or cutting, produces heavy acorn crops on a two-year cycle, and supports an outsized number of caterpillar species for such a small plant. Use it where nothing else will grow, or as a dense wildlife thicket.
Heights and zones are typical ranges for the species in cultivation; local conditions and seed source shift them. Estimate growth for this species →
More like this
