Identifying Characteristics
| Size/Form: | Myrtle oak is a small, evergreen tree with only the largest of these trees reaching heights of 35' to 40'. It is often shrubby, forming tangled thickets but may grow into a twisted, wind-shaped tree with an irregular or rounded crown. |
| Leaves: | The leaves are simple, alternately arranged, oval to oblong and 1" to 2" long by ¼" to 1½" wide. They have a shiny, leathery, dark green upper surface and underneath are yellowish-green or orange-brown and mostly smooth. Leaf bases are rounded to wedge-shaped and the leaf tips are rounded or occasionally have a bristle tip. The margins are smooth and turned under. |
| Fruit: | The fruit is a small, ½", nearly round acorn with a saucer-shaped cap that covers 1/3 of the nut. The nuts have dark stripes and may be sessile and are usually borne singly, rarely in pairs or clusters. The acorns mature in two growing seasons. |
| Bark: | The bark is grayish-brown and thin with shallow furrows and ridges. |
| Habitat: | Myrtle oak grows on sandy soils in scrub forests and coastal dunes, near salt water, and on offshore islands. It may sometimes be found inland, in sandy upland locations. |