FNPS Plant Database

Quercus myrtifolia

myrtle oak

PHOTOS COMING SOON!

Nomenclature

Common Name:

myrtle oak

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Quercus myrtifolia

Family:

Fagaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

tree

Size:

5 to 30 ft

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

NA

Fruit Color:

brown

Phenology:

Evergreen. Blooms early spring (inconspicuous). Fruits ripen the second fall.

Noted For:

Hurricane Wind Resistance

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Forms a thicket with many sprouts from spreading roots

Considerations:

Availability:

Native Nurseries, Seed

Propagation:

Seed or as nursery-grown sapplings. Small stems may difficult to transplant from the wild.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

Coming Soon!

Not wet but not extremely dry ---to--- 1Stays wet

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray.

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand

Soil pH:

Acidic

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.



Don't know your zone? Click here to search by zip code.

Ecology

Wildlife:

Caterpillars, Birds, Mammals

Larval host  for Horace's duskywing (Erynnis horatius), red-banded hairstreak ( Calycopis cecrops ) and white-M hairstreak ( Parrhasius m-album ) butterflies.





Possible larval host for Juvenal's duskywing ( Erynnis juvenalis ) and oak hairstreak ( Fixsenia favonius ) butterflies.

Small mammals use the acorns.





 Provides significant food and cover for wildlife.





The acorns are utilized by squirrels.





An important food source for the Florida scrub-jay as the tannins in the nuts help it remain edible through the winter; scrub-jays may also use it for nesting and perching

Native Habitats:

Scrub, scrubby flatwoods, scrubby sandhill.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

This plant can form clones from underground stems.  It is adapted to fire environments.

Citations:

Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell.  1999.  Native Florida Plants.  Gulf Publishing Company.  Houston, TX.



Huegel, Craig, N.  2010.  Native plant landscaping for Florida wildlife.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL. (wildlife uses)



Institute for Regional Conservation.  Accessed 2021.  Natives for Your Neighborhood.   https://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Quermyrt.



Minno, Marc and Maria Minno.  1999.  Florida butterfly gardening .  University Press of Florida, Gainesville.



Nelson, Gil.  2003.  Florida's Best Landscape Plants. Association of Florida Native Nurseries.



Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants ( http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ).  Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

Request an update