Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Fagaceae

Genus:

Quercus

Species:

Quercus laurifolia

USDA Symbol:

QULA3

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Tree

Height:

2500 cm

Light Requirements:

Part Shade

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

mar,apr

Wildlife Benefits

Caterpillars:

★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

★★★★★ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Reported Fauna Sightings

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, squirrels, deer, wild turkey

Salt Tolerant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts vigorously from root crown after fire. Historically maintained in fire-prone coastal plain ecosystems.

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

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days

Germination Time:

14–30 days

Notes:

Acorns have low dormancy; plant fresh in fall or cold stratify. Acorns lose viability quickly if allowed to dry.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI