Scientific Name – Quercus ilex
The Holm or Evergreen Oak is native to northern parts of Africa and southern Europe and it is common throughout the UK and Ireland. It is found frequently in parks and gardens where it is grown for its ornamental value.
Its bark is brownish black or black and is shallowly cracked into small, square, thin dry plates. It has a broad, domed growth pattern and is often multi-stemmed or branched at very low levels. New foliage appears in June and is silvery white at first before rapidly becoming a shiny blackish green and darker in winter. The tree retains dense foliage for the entire year. Holm Oak has a maximum height of 25m but may also be found as a shrub similar to Laurel.
