mobile plant informer
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| Quercus ilex | |
| "Holly Oak, Holm Oak" | |
| LHBC 411 | |
| Family: Fagaceae | |
| Native to: Southern Europe, Mediterranean Region | |
| Revered by the ancient Greeks as a symbol of fertility and divination. The acorns were used as food in ancient Europe, and are sometimes still eaten raw, cooked or made into flour. Acorns are also used to fatten pigs, and this is sometimes accomplished by penning the animals directly under the trees in the fall. The famous Iberico Ham is produced from pigs fed with Holm Oak acorns. Holm Oak is also one of the top trees for production of truffles, which are an ectomycorrhizal fungus associated with the roots. | |
| Horticultural notes: Zones 8-10. Cultivated widely in subtropical climates, very drought tolerant. In the U.S. cultivated mostly in California and south Texas. |
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