Laurel Oak / Diamond Leaf Oak

Quercus hemisphaerica

A large, fast-growing, shade tree, laurel oak is native to the southeastern United States and noted for its dense, oval canopy. Some botanists separate this species from Q. hemisphaerica, others lump them together—take your pick. Quercus laurifolia has been described as tolerant of wet sites. Quercus hemisphaerica is more of an upland species. Laurel Oaks are taller than they are broad, eventually reaching 60 feet or more in height with a 40- to 60-foot spread. The trunk can be up to four feet in diameter and flares out at the base lifting sidewalks and curbing if planted in tree lawns less than eight feet wide. Trees are either deciduous in the north or semi-evergreen in the south. The smooth, narrow leaves are shiny on both sides and the round acorns are set 1/4 or less of their height into thin, saucer-like cups. They normally drop brown in the fall and winter.

Common names: Laurel Oak, Diamond Leaf Oak

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Tree Campus information provided with permission of the Environmental Horticulture Department, UF/IFAS Extension, Publication #ENH-707, one of a series. Original publication date November 1993. Revised December 2006. Reviewed February 2014. For more information visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.