Laurel Oak

Quercus laurifolia

Laurel Oak

Bruce Kirchoff from Greensboro, NC, USA

Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Fagaceae
Genus:
Quercus
Species:
Quercus laurifolia

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Perennial
Growth Habit:
Tree
Height:
More than 40 ft
Light Requirements:
Part Shade
Drought Tolerance:
High
Bloom Months:
mar, apr, may
Bloom Colors:
Yellow

Native Range

United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:
★☆☆☆☆ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Dasychira tephra, Io moth (Automeris io), Fixsenia ontario, Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
moist, well-drained sandy loam
pH:
4.5 - 6.5 (acidic to slightly acidic)
Drainage:
tolerates poor drainage
Moisture:
consistently moist
Notes:
commonly found in floodplains and wetland areas

Germination Information

Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).; then Cold-moist stratification for 60 days.

Source: OpenAI GPT-4o