Oak (holm)

Do you want to plant a Oak (holm)? Here you will find all the information you need on how to best plant the Oak (holm), and on pruning and caring for your Oak (holm).
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General characteristics of a Oak (holm)

The holm Oak (Quercus ilex), native to southern France and Corsica, is a majestic tree with a long life span: it lives between 200 and 2,000 years. Its leaves are dark green and glossy on the top and downy on the bottom. The evergreen leaves are also leathery and prickly and are very similar to that of Holly. The flowers of the Stone Oak appear in April-May, the yellow ones being the male flowers and the green ones the female flowers. Small acorns follow in September-October. In Corsica and Spain, these are used to feed pigs. The short, twisted trunk of Quercus Ilex is a beautiful gray-brown color and the bark flakes off over time.

Stone oak can withstand -15°C but is not made for very harsh winters and prefers milder climates where it is very often used to stabilize coastal dunes. Once mature, it can grow 20 meters tall and 15 meters wide and has a beautiful rounded growth habit.

Characteristics


How to plant a Oak (holm)

Dig the planting hole one-third deeper and wider than the roots. Make sure the hole is deep enough so the taproot doesn't have to be pushed to the side. Place the seedling in the hole, keeping it slightly higher than the final planting depth, rather than right at the bottom of the hole. The root collar should eventually be at the boundary between the soil and the air. Some trees also have ridges on the root collar, which makes this easier. When placing the tree in the hole, keep it stable. The roots shouldn't point upward or twist during planting, otherwise the tree will become unstable or could strangle itself. Also, spread out the roots as much as possible. This gives the roots sufficient rooting space.

Fill the hole with moist, loose soil. Make sure the soil touching the root hairs (the roots thinner than 1 millimeter) is well crumbled. Shake the tree gently up and down so that the soil gets between the root hairs.

Place about 10 centimeters of soil above the root hairs and press it down lightly with your foot, ensuring the roots have good contact with the soil moisture.

For detailed planting instructions, see the planting guide on our website.

How to harvest a Oak (holm)

The holm oak has a taproot. To harvest the seedling, insert the spade straight down near the trunk. Carefully create a circle around the plant, pushing the spade into the ground several times so as not to damage the taproot. Then, using a gentle lever motion, lift the seedling out of the ground. Be sure to dig out the taproot as completely as possible.

Caring for and pruning your Oak (holm)

The holm Oak is easy to shape and can therefore be used as a hedge.
The holm Oak can be pruned twice a year: once in April and once in September.

Where does a Oak (holm) grow

Holm Oak grows best in calcareous and dry soil. It tolerates air pollution and sea breezes.


General

Origin
Alien
Tree Type Deciduous tree

Length and Age

Length in about 10 years 4 Up to 6 Meter
Reproductive Maturity in How Many Years Up to year
Maximum Age 80 Up to 100 year
Required Space 50 Up to 70m2
Growth Rate trees.slow

Reproduction

Tree is Self-Pollinating No
Reproduction Method
Makes seedlings
Reproduction rate

Reproduction rate

1. Very low reproduction rate. The plant hardly spreads, has few seeds or vegetative spread (e.g., trees with heavy seeds).
2. Low reproduction rate. Spread via limited seed production or specific conditions required
3. Average reproduction rate. Regular spread, depending on wind, water, or animals, at a moderate speed (e.g., dandelion).
4. High reproduction rate. Many seeds and multiple spread strategies (wind, birds, vegetative). Quickly colonizes open spaces
5. Very high reproduction rate. Invasive species that spread explosively over large distances (e.g., Japanese knotweed).

Pruning Period

This Tree is Evergreen No
Summer March tot April
Winter October tot December
Leaf Shapes Egg-shaped
Easy to prune Yes

Bark Characteristics Seedling (50-200cm)

Lenticels Yes
Colour

Bud Characteristics Seedling (50-200cm)

Colour
Bud Position Information not available
Bud Shape
Fusiform

Other

Root Information not available
Bloom
Has flowers
Has fruits
Wind sensitivity Not sensitive to (sea) wind

Diseases

Sensitive to the Following Diseases Information not available

Harvest/recognition in winter

The leaves are dark green and shiny on top and downy on the underside. The evergreen leaves are also leathery and prickly and very similar to that of Holly. The dark gray bark is smooth at first but shallowly grooved later in life.

Light requirement of the Oak (holm)

The Oak (holm) thrives best under these light conditions.
  • Full sun
  • Partial shade
  • Full shade

    • Suitable soil types for the Oak (holm)

    In this overview, you can find which soil types are best for the Oak (holm) to grow.
    Soil type Suitability
    light clay
    heavy clay
    sand
    peatland
    Loam
    Moerig op zand
    Lichte zavel
    Zware zavel

    Humidity

    A (ground)water level indicates how deep the groundwater usually is below the surface. The higher the Roman numeral, the deeper the groundwater.
    I
    II
    III
    IV
    V
    VI
    VII
    VIII

    Suitable acidity level for the Oak (holm)

    Each soil type has a certain acidity level, measured in pH values. You can plant the Oak (holm) in soil that falls within this range:
    0.0
    0.5
    1.0
    1.5
    2.0
    2.5
    3.0
    3.5
    4.0
    4.5
    5.0
    5.5
    6.0
    6.5
    7.0
    7.5
    8.0
    8.5
    9.0

    Nutritional needs of the Oak (holm)

    Some soil types offer more nutritional richness than others.
    1.0
    1.5
    2.0
    2.5
    3.0
    3.5
    4.0
    4.5
    5.0
    5.5
    6.0
    6.5
    7.0
    7.5
    8.0
    8.5
    9.0
    1. Very nutrient-poor soil
    2. Very nutrient-poor to nutrient-poor soil
    3. Nutrient-poor soil
    4. Nutrient-poor to moderately nutrient-rich soil
    5. Moderately nutrient-rich soil
    6. Moderately nutrient-rich to nutrient-rich soil
    7. Nutrient-rich soil
    8. Extremely nutrient-rich soil
    9. Very extremely nutrient-rich soil

    Humidity

    Does Oak (holm) like to have its roots in extremely dry (1.0) or wet (9.0) soil?
    1.0
    1.5
    2.0
    2.5
    3.0
    3.5
    4.0
    4.5
    5.0
    5.5
    6.0
    6.5
    7.0
    7.5
    8.0
    8.5
    9.0
    1. Extremely dry soils
    2. Extremely dry to dry soils
    3. Dry soils
    4. Dry to dry/moist soils
    5. Dry/moist soils
    6. Dry/moist to moist soils
    7. Moist soils
    8. Moist to wet soils
    9. Wet soils

    To be applied in landscapes

    0 = not filled in, 1 = unsuitable, 5 = very suitable
    Landscape Suitability
    Agroforestry
    Hedge
    Hedge
    Forest
    Feeding hedge
    Back yard
    Small back yard
    Solitary
    Wood wall

    Cultural-historical value

    0 = not filled in, 1 = low, 9 = high

    Insects

    How many insects typically live on this tree/plant? 5
    Which insect groups live on this tree/plant?
    Beetles
    True bugs
    Mites
    Cicadas
    Are there insects dependent on this species? No
    Which insect species are dependent on this tree/plant?
    Aceria ilicis

    Birds

    Average number of birds per tree/plant?
    Which bird groups live on this tree/plant?

    Mammals

    Average number of mammals per tree/plant?
    Which mammal groups live on this tree/plant?
    Are there mammals dependent on this species? No
    Which mammal species are dependent on this tree/plant?

    Bloom Period

    Summer April Up to May

    Tree Species

    Tree species that this tree prefers to grow with

    Suitable for mammals?

    toxic, 1 = unsuitable, 5 = very suitable
    Mammal Suitability
    Human
    Horse
    Cow
    Pig
    Chicken
    Goat
    Sheep
    Herbivorous rodents
    Dog
    Cat
    Foxes
    Badgers
    Ferret
    Mouse
    Squirrel
    Wild boar
    Deer
    Roe deer
    Beavers

    Explanation

    Explanation

    Edibility

    • Toxic: This tree or shrub is toxic to mammals and absolutely unsuitable for consumption.
    1. Very unsuitable: This tree or shrub is unsuitable for consumption by mammals and can be harmful.
    2. Unsuitable: This tree or shrub is generally unsuitable for consumption by mammals and can have adverse effects.
    3. Moderately suitable: This tree or shrub is moderately suitable as food for mammals, possibly with certain risks or limitations.
    4. Suitable: This tree or shrub is generally suitable as food for mammals, with little to no risks.
    5. Very suitable: This tree or shrub is very suitable as food for mammals, safe, and of high nutritional value.


    Trunk Height

    Average Trunk Height (hg) of the basal area median tree

    from - to, in whole meters, average

    Information not available

    Trunk Diameter

    (dg) (1.30m) of the basal area median tree.

    from - to, in whole centimeters, average

    Information not available

    Aboveground Biomass

    in whole kg

    Information not available

    Belowground Biomass

    in whole kg

    Information not available

    Substance Binder

    Which substances can be bound or absorbed?
    CO2
    Particulate matter

    Carbon Attraction (kf)

    (dg) (1.30m) of the basal area median tree Deciduous Trees (Kf = 0,48)

    Warming Resistance

    This tree is well resistant to the warming (plus 3 degrees) of our climate and fits into the future of our climate (heat and drought resistant). Yes
    CO2
    Particulate matter

    CO2

    0. not filled in
    1. no storage
    2. low storage
    3. moderate storage
    4. high storage
    5. very high storage

    Fine Dust

    0. not filled in
    1. no capture capacity
    2. low capture capacity
    3. moderate capture capacity
    4. high capture capacity
    5. very high capture capacity

    This is what an adult tree Oak (holm) looks like

    oak tree
    A mature oak tree
    Oak in winter

    This is what the fruits of a Oak (holm) look like

    Fruit of the oak

    This is what the bud of a Oak (holm) looks like

    Buds of the oak

    This is what the leaf of a Oak (holm) looks like

    Oak leaf