Oak Compendium
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Compare sources for Quercus hemisphaerica

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Field
Oak Compendium ★
Oaks of the World
The Sibley Guide to Trees
Common Names
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Darlington’s oak, laurel oak
Darlington Oak, Laurel Oak
Geographic Range
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Eastern USA to Texas; in Coastal Plain; 0 to 150 m;

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Growth Habit
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25 m tall; crown rounded;

Semi-evergreen. Medium or large often 60’

Leaves
  • Very short petiole.
  • Leaf bases more U-shaped.
  • Saplings and resprouts can have cordate leaf bases and very sharply lobed leaves.
  • Lower leaf surface is glabrous
  • Secondary veins raised on upper surface
  • Leaves leathery and opaque
  • Evergreen, maybe tardily deciduous at times (not sure about this)

As compared to Q. laurifolia:

  • Leaves on average narrower and widest towards the tip
  • Flowers about 2 weeks later

3-12 x 1-4 cm; evergreen or tardily deciduous (February or later); narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate; thick; apex pointed, base rounded; both sides green, glabrous and shiny; margin entire not revolute, with sometimes a few teeth or lobes near apex; petiole 6 mm long, dull yellow;

  • 3 1/2”
  • very short petiole
  • base usually more U-shaped (vs V on laurifolia)
  • leathery vs opaque
  • generally broadest near the tip (not diamond shaped)
  • underleaf pale green
Fruits (Acorns)
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acorn 9-16 mm long, ovoid or subglobose; sessile; cup covering 1/4 to 1/3 of nut, sometimes turbinate, hairy inside;

  • 5/8”
  • like laurifolia
  • nearly round
  • cup fairly shallow
  • covers 1/4 - 1/3 of nut
Flowers
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spring; appear 15 days later than in the closely related Q.laurifolia

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Twigs
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gray hairs

Buds
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similar to laurifolia
larger than phellos

Hardiness & Habitat
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hardy; prefers light, well drained soils;

  • common in fairly dry sandy soils of lowlands, stream terraces, occassioanly hillsides; mixed open woods, hammocks
  • commonly cultivated
  • zones 6-9
Additional Information
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– A. Camus : n° 409; – Sub-genus Quercus, section Lobatae, subsection Phellos; – For a long time confused with Q.laurifolia (“swamp laurel oak”, “diamondleaf oak”) ; – Numerous hybrids (among them : Q.x sublaurifolia with Q.incana , Q.x mellichampi with Q.laevis )

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