Quercus ilicifolia Wangenh.
Bear oak, black scrub oak, scrub oak, turkey oak
Bear oaks are natives of eastern North America.
Plants: These deciduous oaks are generally found as gangly shrubs less than 15′ (4.6 m) high, with a maximum height of 20′ (6.1 m). See the Quercus comparison table.
Leaves: Alternate, 1¾–6 ⨉ 1–4″ (5–15 ⨉ 3–10 cm). The leaves look significantly different from those of most other oaks that occur in the same range. They are 2–5″ (5–12 cm) long.
Flowers: Staminate (male) catkins and pistillate (female) flowers occur on the same tree (“monoecious”). Female flowers may be solitary or in clusters.
Fruits: Acorns are ⅜–¾″ (1–2 cm) long, egg shaped, dark brown, with the saucer-shaped cap covering about a third of the nut.
Habitats: These sun-loving tree/shrubs are early colonizers after fires. They prefer dry to medium-dry habitats.
Online References:
References:
8/7/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 3½″ (14 × 9.4 cm) 
4/25/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 4½ × 3½″ (11 × 9.2 cm) 
Young acorns. · 6/4/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 4 × 4″ (10 × 10 cm) 
ID is uncertain 
8/7/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 2½ × 2½″ (6.6 × 6.5 cm) 
5/11/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 7″ (13 × 17 cm) 
6/4/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (23 × 15 cm) ID is uncertain 
5/29/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm) ID is uncertain 
4/25/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm) 
4/25/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 3½ × 3″ (9.3 × 7.9 cm) 
9/5/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 4 × 3½″ (10 × 9.5 cm) 
7/27/2016 · Michaux State Forest, Caledonia State Park, Fayetteville, Pennsylvania · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 20 cm) 
5/11/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 4½ × 6″ (11 × 14 cm) 
5/29/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 11 × 8″ (29 × 20 cm) ID is uncertain 
6/4/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm) ID is uncertain 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Rosidae | Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more |
| Order | Fagales | Birch, she-oak, beech, walnut, bayberry, others |
| Family | Fagaceae | Beech familhy |
| Genus | Quercus | Latin for “oak” |
| Species | ilicifolia | “Having leaves like a holly (genus Ilex)” |
Quercus ilicifolia description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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