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Scrub oak Quercus inopina
Fagaceae
General Landscape Uses:
Screen in natural settings due to clonal growth habit.
Availability:
Available at native plant nurseries in central Florida.
Description: Single-stemmed evergreen shrub less than 6 feet tall with elliptical leaves 1-5 inches long with a noticeable, powdery yellow fuzz on the underside. Similar to the myrtle oak (Q. myrtifolia) but typically with elliptic instead of obovate leaves.
Dimensions: Up to 6 feet in height.
Range:
Endemic to Florida, St. John's, Putnam, and Marion counties through central Florida to Sarasota, De Soto, Glades, and Martin counties.
Soils: Moist to dry, well-drained sandy or limestone soils, without humus.
Nutritional Requirements: Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils.
Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance: Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation.
Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun.
Fruit: Acorn.
Wildlife and Ecology: Larval host plant for Horace's dusky wing (Erynnis horactius), red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops) and white-M hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album) butterflies. The acorns are utilized by squirrels.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed. Forms colonies.
References: Wunderlin and Hansen (2011), Nelson (1994)
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.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of suggested ZIP codes from South Florida north to southern Brevard, Osceola, Polk, and Pasco counties.
