Species name:
Quercus ilicifolia Wangenh
People often think of oak trees as huge, big and strong trees. The Bear Oak has a range of size, but, most often is found as a small bush although they can grow into small trees. It has a life span of 20 to 30 years.
They can grow to 20 feet tall, but, their diameter, not circumference, is usually 5 inches.
They like dry, sandy barrens and rocky ridges in mountains. They can be found as a thicket also, They make great habitat for birds and in the case of a thicket small mammals.
The map to the right shows the extent of it's habitat.
Bear oak (click here) is primarily restricted to the northeastern United States. The northernmost bear oak population occurs in the Granite Barren ecosystem of southern Ontario, and the southernmost occurrence of bear oak is in North Carolina.. In both Ontario and North Carolina, bear oak is rare. In Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Hampshire, and Vermont bear oak is present in disjunct populations.
