• Photo of Quercus minima (Quercus minimas)

Plant Profile: Quercus minima

Taxonomy: Quercus minima

Names

Dwarf Live Oak, Oaks

  • Photo of Quercus minima (Quercus minimas)

Phonetic Spelling:KWER-kus MIN-eh-muh

Genus:Quercus

Species:minima

Family:Fagaceae

The Dwarf Live Oak is a slowly deciduous shrub indigenous to the pine forests and coastal sandhills of the southeastern United States. It propagates through rhizomes and seeds, often establishing dense colonies in its natural environment. Typically reaching a height of around 3 feet, it has a broader spread and produces acorns similar to those of larger oak trees. This shrub serves as a valuable source of food and shelter for various wildlife.

Preferring sunny spots with well-drained sandy soil, the Dwarf Live Oak is drought-resistant but does not tolerate salt. Although it is seldom incorporated into residential landscaping, it has potential as a groundcover in natural settings and is frequently employed in habitat restoration projects.

Quercus minima Feature Summary

Quercus minima Image Gallery

Tags

#showy flowers
#full sun tolerant
#drought tolerant
#shrub
#semi-evergreen
#wildlife plant
#partial sun
#native tree
#moths
#native shrub
#spring flowers
#dwarf
#small mammals
#moist soil
#NC native
#flowering shrub
#acorns
#nighttime garden
#small and large mammals
#fire resistant
#spring interest
#larval host plant
#food source fall
#sandhills
#food source herbage
#coastal FAC
#Piedmont Mountains FAC
#sandy soils tolerant
#fruits
#bird friendly
#food source hard mast fruit
#butterfly friendly
#butterfly larvae
#moth larvae
#fruits early fall
#partial shade tolerant
#larval host tree
#pollinator garden
#problem for horses
#audubon
#banded hairstreak butterfly
#gray hairstreak butterfly
#imperial moth
#juvenal’s duskywing butterfly
#edward’s hairstreak butterfly
#white-m hairstreak butterfly
#horace’s duskywing butterfly

Similar Plants

Quercus minima Feature Summary

Attributes
AL , FL , GA , LA , MS , NC , TX
Oak trees support a wide variety of Lepidopteran. You may see Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed. Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus), which have one flight from June-August everywhere but Florida where they emerge April-May. Edward's Hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii), has one flight from May-July in the south and June-July in the north. Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), has three to four flights in the south from February-November and two flights in the north from May-September. White-M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album) has three broods in the north from February-October. Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) has three broods in Texas and the deep south from January-November, and two broods in the north from April-September. Juvenal’s Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis) has one brood from April-June, appearing as early as January in Florida. Birds and small mammals use the nuts from this tree as a food source.
Particularly resistant to drought and fire in the landscape.
Seed
Root Cutting
Layering
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
low flammability
Fruit
Pale brown acorn about 2/3" long. Cup has gray scales and covers 1/2 of the nut.
Brown/Copper
< 1 inch
Flowers
Male catkins are yellow-green.
Gold/Yellow
Green
Leaves
Leaves are alternate, 3-5 inches long, and toothless or with irregular teeth or lobes. Lobes, when present, are usually spine-tipped. Base cuneate, apex acute to rounded. Leaves persist through winter then drop off prior to new leaves forming. Undersides light green and glaucous.
Obovate
Oblanceolate
Entire
Lobed
3-6 inches
1-3 inches
Bark
Smooth, brown to light gray
Light Gray
Light Brown
Stem
Light gray, smooth twigs in the second year. Small roundish bud, dark brown to grayish-brown scales.
Gray/Silver
Smooth (glabrous)
Poisonous to Humans
Stomach pain, constipation and later bloody diarrhea, excessive thirst and urination if uncooked leaves or fruit are eaten.
Gallotannins, quercitrin, and quercitin
Leaves
Fruits
Whole Plant Traits
Shrub
Native Plant
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Good Drainage
Occasionally Dry
Coastal
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
10a
10b
Landscape
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Butterfly Garden
Pollinator Garden
Winter Garden
Nighttime Garden
Container
Woodland
Naturalized Area
Coastal
Pond
Butterflies
Pollinators
Songbirds
Moths
Small Mammals
Problem for Horses

Quercus minima Attributes

Quercus minima: Country Or Region Of Origin

SE USA

Quercus minima: Distribution

AL , FL , GA , LA , MS , NC , TX

Quercus minima: Wildlife Value

Oak trees support a wide variety of Lepidopteran. You may see Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed. Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus), which have one flight from June-August everywhere but Florida where they emerge April-May. Edward's Hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii), has one flight from May-July in the south and June-July in the north. Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), has three to four flights in the south from February-November and two flights in the north from May-September. White-M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album) has three broods in the north from February-October. Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) has three broods in Texas and the deep south from January-November, and two broods in the north from April-September. Juvenal’s Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis) has one brood from April-June, appearing as early as January in Florida. Birds and small mammals use the nuts from this tree as a food source.

Quercus minima: Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems)

Particularly resistant to drought and fire in the landscape.

Quercus minima: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Quercus minima: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Quercus minima: Play Value

Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer

Quercus minima: Fire Risk Rating

extreme flammability
high flammability
low flammability
medium flammability

Quercus minima Fruit

Quercus minima: Fruit Description

Pale brown acorn about 2/3" long. Cup has gray scales and covers 1/2 of the nut.

Quercus minima: Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Quercus minima: Fruit Color

grass
Brown/Copper

Quercus minima: Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Quercus minima: Fruit Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Quercus minima: Fruit Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Quercus minima Flowers

Quercus minima: Flower Description

Male catkins are yellow-green.

Quercus minima: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Gold/Yellow
filter_vintage
Green

Quercus minima: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Quercus minima Leaves

Quercus minima: Leaf Description

Leaves are alternate, 3-5 inches long, and toothless or with irregular teeth or lobes. Lobes, when present, are usually spine-tipped. Base cuneate, apex acute to rounded. Leaves persist through winter then drop off prior to new leaves forming. Undersides light green and glaucous.

Quercus minima: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Quercus minima: Leaf Color

spa
Green

Quercus minima: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Quercus minima: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Quercus minima: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Quercus minima: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Quercus minima: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Quercus minima: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Quercus minima: Leaf Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Quercus minima Bark

Quercus minima: Bark Description

Smooth, brown to light gray

Quercus minima: Bark Color

grass
Light Brown
grass
Light Gray

Quercus minima Stem

Quercus minima: Stem Description

Light gray, smooth twigs in the second year. Small roundish bud, dark brown to grayish-brown scales.

Quercus minima: Stem Color

grass
Gray/Silver

Quercus minima: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Quercus minima: Stem Surface

Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)

Quercus minima Poisonous to Humans

Quercus minima: Poison Symptoms

Stomach pain, constipation and later bloody diarrhea, excessive thirst and urination if uncooked leaves or fruit are eaten.

Quercus minima: Poison Toxic Principle

Gallotannins, quercitrin, and quercitin

Quercus minima: Poison Severity

High
Low
Medium

Quercus minima: Causes Contact Dermatitis

No
Yes

Quercus minima: Poison Part

Bark
Flowers
Fruits
Leaves
Roots
Sap/Juice
Seeds
Stems

Quercus minima Whole Plant Traits

Quercus minima: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Quercus minima: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Quercus minima Cultural Conditions

Quercus minima: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Quercus minima: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Quercus minima: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Quercus minima: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
10a
thermostat
10b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b
thermostat
9a
thermostat
9b

Quercus minima: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Quercus minima Landscape

Quercus minima: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Quercus minima: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Quercus minima: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Quercus minima: Attracts

Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees

Quercus minima: Problems

Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy