evergreen Ilex oak info please?

[shei111]

I needed cheering up a bit yesterday so I went to the garden centre to buy a tree, I knew I wanted something evergreen so I bought a evergreen oak (ilex i believe) its about 8 foot tall very bushy all over with plenty of branches full of leaves, does anyone out there know anything about this tree? Ive planted it in a sunny spot with plenty of room to grow, without it near any other trees in other words its not cramped in and as ample room to grow, there wasnt a label on it and the assistant said it was ilex oak, would like a bit more information on it if anyones knows please. Thanks sheila.

[lol geoff]

Look up Quercus ilex or Holm Oak, they can grow to a very large size.

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by lol geoff

Look up Quercus ilex or Holm Oak, they can grow to a very large size.

28m tall in my book! A tree perhaps suited to parkland

[shei111]

Ive also been looking it up now geoff has given me its proper name, agree it can grow big, I want it at about 30 to 40 feet high so we will have to keep it trimmed, ive got it in a suitable place where it can grow outwards and upwards and it will not block anyones day light as its at the top of the garden and we have fields behind us, and no other houses , one good thing its slow growing. Its a lovely looking tree with lance shaped holly leaves ,acorns in the autumn and catkins in the summer. sheila

[Kayleigh]

It should be ok as long as you don't plant it in the pond

[shei111]

Kayleigh, I cant plant it in the pond cos thats got a lilac bush in it , dont you remember!!!! I dont want to over crowd the pond too much . sheila .

[sanderling]

Here on the Isle of Wight the Holm Oaks are growing everywhere and are regarded as a threat to take over from English Oak. National Trust has tried herbicides and even brought in a herd of goats to try and eat them, but none of this has succeeded in halting the spread and the forecast is that this tree will eventually replace Quercus Robur as the main Oak sp.

The acorns are popular with birds though and I have heard that a quite decent coffee type of drink can be made from the ground up acorns.

[shei111]

well the birds like the acorns and I get a cup of coffee cant be bad. sheila

[aeshna5]

A newcomer moth to the UK- the Oak Rustic, also feeds on it. It's established on IOW + possibly other southern locations.