Bear Oak or Scrub Oak

Quercus ilicifolia

Commonly known as bear oak or scrub oak, this is a small shrubby oak native to the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. Its range extends in the United States from Maine to North Carolina.  It is a deciduous tree or shrub and can grow up to 20 feet high.   It has egg-shaped acorns with a saucer-shaped cap.

Quercus ilicifolia provides food and shelter for many animal species. Bears or white-tailed deer eat the acorns and the stems and foliage. Many types of squirrels cache the acorns. Many birds depend on them; wild turkeys prefer them over other types of food. A large number of insect species live on the oak.