Mature Quercus Ilex AKA Holm Oak Options Explained
90-120cm: 3-5 Litre pot, 1-2 years old, around 90-120cm tall at delivery. Likely to be a single stem.
100+cm. 5-9L pot, 100+cm tall at delivery.
125-150cm: 5-7 Litre pot, 2-3 years old, around 125-150cm tall at delivery.
150:180cm: 7-12L pot, Usually half standard. Check first if important.
180-240cm: 12-20L pot, 180-240cm tall at delivery, Usually half standard. Check first if important.
Multi Stem: 10-20 Litre pot, 120-180cm tall at delivery and more than one stem!
Girth 6-8cm: Standard,25L pot, *Roughly 210-260cm tall. 180-200cm clear stem and 30-60cm crown.
Due to recent import restrictions, larger Quercus are no longer available until further notice. Olea trees look very similar.
*Heights are given as a very rough guideline and can have considerable variation based on species and supplier (each nursery experiences different growing conditions) It may even have been pruned before being sent out so we can only guarantee girth. Trees over 5.5m may include a delivery surcharge based on location and species.
Once a mature Quercus Ilex is over around 200cm/4 years old then girth is the best measure of value for money. For every girth measurement increment e.g. 6-8cm to 8-10cm (roughly 12-18months growth), the canopy will be wider, stronger, bushier and the root system larger as it has experienced 12-18 months growth. You can notice larger root systems with potted versions because the pot size increases with maturity. As a very general rule, each one cm girth measurement represents around 30cm growth but this doesn't apply to slow-growing trees.
Multistem means several stems starting very low to the ground. Comparing these with the same age Standard and Half Standard, these are typically shorter as growing several stems takes more effort than one stem.
Standard and Half Standard means lollipop shape. There is a more clear stem with a Standard.
Quercus Ilex Holm Oak
An interesting evergreen oak, Holm Oak is a conical-shaped tree with dark green foliage. It has attractive smooth darkish-grey bark. Early summer marks the arrival of new leaves, which are a silvery-white colour before turning green. Furry golden-yellow coloured catkins are of interest and typical of oak trees, acorns will be formed.
Should you wish to have a life similar to Robin Hood but a little more politically correct e.g. lean more towards the giving and nowhere near the robbing, then this is a great tree to live in. The all-year-round leaves provide a great hiding place and you will probably surprise a lot of squirrels which is always great amusement.
An attractive tree which will tolerate salt spray and strong winds, and is quite frequently planted as a hedge or windbreak or in avenues in coastal towns. Expect a final height of 28m (93ft), so unless trimmed, better suited to the larger garden. You never have to change the oil with this tree or check pressures so is considered a low maintenance tree.
Has a hardiness rating of H4 which means it will tolerate frost down to -5 to -10 degrees centigrade. This still makes it suitable for planting across most of the UK. Our tree warranty does not cover trees killed by frost. If in doubt use a website such as https://weatherspark.com to check historical temperatures. If a temperature of minus 5 degrees centigrade has been recorded at your nearest weather station, your tree is not covered.
Should you require more than one tree then you may want to look at our WHOLESALE OAK TREE section. Click OAK HEDGING for the obvious hedging section.
See What Our Customers Are Saying About out Holm Oak Quercus Ilex
Hi Alan, Just to let you know the tree has arrived in very good condition Thanks for you service We can now plant it in memory of a farmer from Cutthorpe in Derbyshire Regards Chris Riggott 0321. 90-120cm option
Tree Jargon Explained
Half Standard: Around 80-100cm clear stem.
Standard: Around 180-200cm clear stem.
Feathered: Branches for most of the trunk/stem length.
Multi-Stem/Bush: Very little or no clear stem. Multiple branching starting low to the ground.
Rootball: Dug from the field with roots intact i.e. no pot.
Pot: Plastic container that the tree was grown in.
Maiden: 1 year tree that has not been pruned.
Pleached: Foliage a square/rectangle flat shape wired to a bamboo frame with some clear stem.
Screen: Same as pleached but much less/no clear stem.
Multiple Order Discount
Orders over £750 for 150cm+ trees might be discounted by ​​​​​​​contacting us
Ornamental Tree Roots In The Shade e.g. Behind A Fence
It is more important that that foliage (posh term for leaves) receives the sunlight than the roots. So if the canopy of your ornamental tree can sunbathe but the bottom of your tree thinks there has been a nuclear winter then that is ok. You might want to ensure you have good drainage as water and no sun is the start of algae and other such issues.
Early Autumn Leaf Fall
Heat stress, being potted, lack of water, being boxed up for a few days etc can cause early Autumn leaf fall. Once planted, normal service will resume next season.
Do I Need To Stake My Ornamental Tree?
9 out of 10 times the answer will be no, especially if under 200cm tall. However our article on Tree Staking should help guide you.
Climate Change
Climate Change has increased aesthetic foliage issues such as Powdery Mildew, Shothole, Rust, frost damage etc These are not terminal issues and will usually last a season or less. All trees are inspected before being sent out to ensure they are fundamentally healthy and will bounce back.
