Quercus phillyreoides

Quercus phillyreoides, commonly called Ubame oak (in Japanese Ubamegashi), is a compact evergreen oak native to southern Japan, Korea and central and southern China. It grows as a dense, rounded large shrub or small tree, usually 5-15 metres tall in cultivation, and often much lower in exposed sites. Introduced to Europe in 1861, it is still an unusual and distinctive oak in gardens.

Its small, thick and leathery leaves are glossy dark green, finely toothed towards the tip and look nothing like a classic lobed oak leaf. In spring the new shoots flush a striking reddish bronze. The bark stays smooth and very dark for many years. In Japan the wood of the Ubame oak is the traditional source of Binchotan, a rare and highly prized white charcoal.

• Evergreen, dense foliage of glossy, leathery dark green leaves
• Attractive reddish young growth in spring
• Compact habit, suited to small gardens, containers and evergreen hedges
• Indifferent to pH: grows on acid as well as calcareous and clay soils
• Tolerates wind, coastal exposure and sea spray, and copes with drought once established

Gardeners value Quercus phillyreoides as an amenable, adaptable Asian evergreen oak with a refined, holly-oak look on a much smaller scale. Whether grown as a specimen, a screen or a clipped hedge, it brings year-round structure and a touch of rarity to the garden.

IMPORTANT: The pictures show the mother plant, which is not for sale. The offer includes a plant with the dimensions stated in the description.