cork oak
Quercus suber
USDA zones8 to 10
SunNeeds full sun (6+ hours)
WaterHandles dry to moist soil
Size40 to 70 feet tall40 to 70 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Habit
- Erect
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Yellow-green
- Foliage color
- Gray/silver, green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Cork oak (Quercus suber) is a tree for specimen planting, shade gardens, and xeriscapes. It is hardy to USDA zone 8, or down to 10°F (-12°C). This plant likes full sun and dry to moist soil of most types. It is evergreen and drought tolerant, and it grows slowly. Deer tend to browse other plants first. The yellow-green flowers attract bees, butterflies, and birds.
Pairs well with Italian cypress, Munstead lavender, and Indian-hawthorn.
Native range
Northern Africa and southern Europe.