# Holm oak

*Quercus ilex*

Its acorns are the essential food source for the free-roaming Iberian pigs, giving Jamón Ibérico de Bellota its prized, nutty flavor.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Fagales › Fagaceae › Quercus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests, woodlands, garrigues, and traditional dehesa agroforestry systems.
- **Diet:** Autotrophic (photosynthesis, drawing water and nutrients from the soil).
- **Range:** Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Morocco, France
- **Size:** 5 to 25 meters tall, with a broad, rounded crown.
- **Lifespan:** 200 to 500 years, sometimes older.
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Oak decline (caused by Phytophthora root rot), severe droughts driven by climate change, and land clearing.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. You can freely approach, touch, and rest under the canopy of a Holm oak. Be mindful of falling acorns in autumn or dry branches during high winds. No special safety precautions needed.

## About

Quercus ilex , the evergreen oak , holly oak or holm oak , is a large evergreen oak native to the Mediterranean region. It takes its name from holm, an ancient name for holly. It is a member of the Cerris section of the genus, with acorns that mature in a single summer.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/4dd49a9f-6e83-45de-bd3c-7311cbb78ed0
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/78805
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus ilex
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/27341505/medium.jpeg (Gianni Del Bufalo bygdb, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.