Virginia Tech Dendrology

island live oak Fagaceae Quercus tomentella Engelm. symbol: QUTO
Leaf: Alternate, evergreen, simple, oblong, 1 1/2 to 3 inches long, entire, wavy or toothed margin, often revolute, leathery, parallel veins that are raised beneath, shiny green above, dull and very fuzzy beneath.
Flower: Species is monoecious; males in long drooping catkins, yellow-green; females very small spikes in leaf axils, appearing with the leaves.
Fruit: Oblong acorn, 1 inch long; thin cap with hairy scales covers 1/4 of nut; ripens in 2 seasons in early fall.
Twig: Slender, greenish brown, fuzzy; terminal buds clustered, fuzzy, sharp pointed.
Bark: Gray-brown, thin, splits into shallow fissures that with time develop into flat, fine scaly patches.
Form: An evergreen, small tree up to 40 feet tall with a spreading rounded crown.
Looks like: tanoak - coast live oak - interior live oak - scrub oak

Additional Range Information: Quercus tomentella is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information