SWAMP LAUREL OAK or DIAMOND LEAF OAK

Quercus laurifolia W.Bartrm ex Willd.

(KWER-cus law-ri-FO-li-a)

General:

A medium-sized oak tree, it may reach 30 m. (90 feet) or more with a stout, straight trunk. A fast growing shade tree with a full, rounded crown makes it popular in landscapes, but it has a short life (50 years) and drops many twigs. Older trees sometimes develop buttressed trunks with relatively smooth bark.
Laurel Oak, Quercus hemispherica was formerly thought to be the same species. Q. laurifolia is distinguished from it by growing in wetter areas and by some of the leaves being wider near the middle and tapered at both ends. Not all botanists agree that these are two separate species.

Flowers / Fruit:

The male flowers occur in short, hanging catkins. The female flowers are found on short stalks on new growth. Both types are on the same tree. The flat-based acorn is 1-2 cm. (½-1 in.) long with a rounded tip and a shallow cup.

SWAMP LAUREL OAK or DIAMOND LEAF OAK (Quercus laurifolia)

Leaves / Stems:

The leaves are simple and deciduous, though they remain on the tree most of the winter. Dropping their leaves all at once, the new leaves emerge almost immediately in the early spring. The shiny, green leaves are 5-10 cm (2-4 in.) long and 2-4 cm (1-1½ in.) wide. Sometimes leaves can have 3 or more lobes at the tips. Called Diamond-leaf Oak, many of the leaves are diamond shaped, wider near the middle and tapering toward each end.

Distribution:

Found in wet hammocks and floodplains throughout Florida except the Keys. It is a tree of the coastal plain from Texas to Virginia.