A fast-growing shade tree in the red oak subgroup, with large crinkled leaves that strongly resemble the unrelated Japanese loquat. In spring, the emerging new leaves add a striking reddish-purple tint to the canopy. Along with live oak and Monterrey oak, this is one of the few “evergreen” oak varieties available to Texas landscapers.
Native to mid- and lower elevations in the eastern Sierra Madre, loquat oak has proven tolerant of much colder temperatures in Texas; full-size specimens can be seen at Trinity University and at the San Antonio Botanical Garden and as far north as Dallas and Nacogdoches.
Loquat oak prefers well-drained soils and is drought tolerant once established. A fairly recent introduction to horticulture, it is not widely available commercially but worth the effort to find it.
