Description
Quercus ilex – Holm Oak
Quality: 1/0 P 30-50
Brief Description: The Holm Oak is the only evergreen oak that can thrive permanently in Southern Germany – a Mediterranean woody plant with a southern flair. Its leathery, dark green foliage remains throughout the year, making it an exceptional solitary specimen or a dense, evergreen hedge. With increasing temperatures due to climate change, it is becoming increasingly reliable for cultivation in Southwest Germany.
Climatic Properties & Site Conditions: The Holm Oak is winter-hardy down to approximately –15 °C, making it suitable for the mildest regions of Southern Germany – Kaiserstuhl, Markgräflerland, Lake Constance region, and warmer urban areas like Freiburg, Karlsruhe, or Stuttgart. In harsh areas of the Black Forest, the Swabian Jura, or at altitudes above 500 m, it is only conditionally recommended. It thrives particularly well on well-drained, calcareous soils in sunny locations.
Advantages: Evergreen with attractive foliage, Mediterranean flair, tolerant of pruning and suitable as a hedge, drought-tolerant once established, future-proof due to global warming.
Disadvantages: Susceptible to frost in harsh and high-altitude regions of Southern Germany, not suitable for waterlogged soils, slow growth, sheds leaves continuously throughout the year (no autumn leaf fall), more expensive in trade than native oaks.
