Plant Profile

Quercus coccifera ssp. calliprinos (Kermes Oak, Palestine Oak)

" The Palestine Oak is the most widespread Oak species in Lebanon; it is slow-growing and covers all the seafacing coastal slopes of Lebanon from the south to the north of the country. The tree forms dense woodlands that are sometimes impenetrable and act as a refuge to what is left of the Lebanese wildlife. The tree produces small, insignificant-looking flowers that are nevertheless extremely important as major grazing grounds for bees. The Palestine Oak is normally found as a small, multistemmed
tree reaching at most 4 meters in height, but more typically is only 2 meters high. The tree is easy to differentiate by the fact that it is evergreen and its leaves have irregular, spiny edges. The acorn is egg-shaped and reaches around 2 centimeters in length."*

* Trees of Lebanon, 2014, Salma Nashabe Talhouk, Mariana M. Yazbek, Khaled Sleem, Arbi J. Sarkissian, Mohammad S. Al-Zein, and Sakra Abo Eid

Landscape Information
Botanical Description
Horticulture Management

© Hans Hillewaert / , via Wikimedia Commons
By Steven Haw (Quercus ilex) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
© Hans Hillewaert / , via Wikimedia Commons
By Isidre blanc (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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French Name: Chêne kermès

Arabic Name: سنديان قرمزي
Plant type: Tree
Origin: Mediterranean
Heat Zones: 1 to 10

Hardiness Zones: 6 to 10
Uses: Specimen, Wildlife, Erosion control, Native to Lebanon
Size/Shape

Growth Rate: Slow

Tree Shape: Spreading

Canopy Symmetry: Irregular

Canopy Density: Dense

Canopy Texture: Medium

Height at Maturity: 3 to 5 m

Spread at Maturity: 3 to 5 meters

Time to Ultimate Height: 20 to 50 Years

© Hans Hillewaert / , via Wikimedia Commons
By Steven Haw (Quercus ilex) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
© Hans Hillewaert / , via Wikimedia Commons
By Isidre blanc (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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Foliage

Leaf Arrangement : Alternate

Leaf Venation: Pinnate

Leaf Persistance: Evergreen

Leaf Type: Simple

Leaf Blade: Less than 5

Leaf Shape: Oval

Leaf Margins: Dentate, Pectinate, Spiny

Leaf Texture: Waxy

Leaf Scent: No Fragance

Color(growing season): Green

Color(changing season): Green
Flower

Flower Showiness: No
Trunk

Trunk Susceptibility to Breakage: Generally resists breakage

Number of Trunks: Multi-Trunked

Trunk esthetic Values: Not Showy
Fruit

Fruit Type: Acorn

Fruit Showiness: Yes

Fruit Size Range: 1.5 - 3

Fruit Color: Brown

Seasons: Summer, Fall

By Steven Haw (Quercus ilex) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By Isidre blanc (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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Tolerance

Frost Tolerant: Yes

Heat Tolerance: Yes

Drought Tolerance: Yes

Salt Tolerance: Moderate
Requirements

Soil Requirements: Clay, Loam, Sand

Soil Ph Requirements: Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline

Water Requirements: Low

Light Requirements: Full
Management

Toxicity: No

Invasive Potential: No

Pruning Requirements: No pruning at all

Fruit/ Leaves/ Flowers litter: No

Surface Rooting: No

Life Span: More than 50

Edible Parts: None

Plant Propagation: Seed