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Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Quercus havardii (Havard oak)
Juett, William

Quercus havardii

Quercus havardii Rydb.

Havard Oak, Havard Shin-oak, Shinnery Oak

Fagaceae (Beech Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: QUHA3

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

GROWTH FORM: rhizomatous shrub with a normal height of 3 feet (0.9 m) and exceptional speciments to 30 feet (9.1 m). BARK: papery, light gray. TWIGS and BUDS: brown pubescent twigs, becoming smooth with age; ovoid terminal buds are a dark reddish- brown. LEAVES: short petiole to 1⁄4 inch (6 mm); leaves are ovate or elliptical, 2 - 4 inches (51 - 101 mm) long, 3⁄4 - 2 inches (19 - 51 mm) wide; thick and with a rounded or cuneate base, margins generally have deep lobes with 2 - 3 rounded teeth on each side, apex rounded; upper surface shiny light green, lower surface has densely tawny tomentum.

This species was named for the U.S. Army surgeon and botanist, Valery Havard. Because Havard oak thrives in a harsh environment, it functions as a sand dune stabilizer and provides critical habitat for the endangered sand dune lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus). Although the acorns are an important food source for wildlife, the leaves are toxic to livestock. Use of herbicides to eradicate Havard oak has resulted in habitat loss and a drastic decline in sand dune lizard populations. The largest known Havard oak grows in Yoakum County, Texas.

 

From the Image Gallery

6 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Shape: Elliptic , Ovate
Leaf Venation: Pinnate
Leaf Margin: Dentate , Lobed
Leaf Base: Cuneate , Rounded
Breeding System: Flowers Unisexual , Monoecious
Inflorescence: Catkin
Fruit Type: Nut
Size Notes: Commonly 3-5 feet tall, often forming a spreading bush to 30 feet wide.
Fruit: Acorns annual; solitary or paired on a peduncle up to 3⁄8 inch (10 mm), a pubescent reddish- brown cup, which covers 1⁄3 - 1⁄2 of nut; brown, ovoid nut, 1 inch (25 mm) long.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Green
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May

Distribution

USA: CO , NM , OK , TX , UT
Native Distribution: New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Native Habitat: Sandy soils and sand dunes; grows in areas devoid of almost all other trees.

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Sandy

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Austin, TX

Bibliography

Bibref 766 - Dale Groom's Texas Gardening Guide (2002) Groom, D.
Bibref 1134 - Field Guide to Native Oak Species of Eastern North America (2003) Stein, John D. and Denise Binion
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Bibref 291 - Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender
Bibref 297 - Trees of Central Texas (1984) Vines, Robert A.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Quercus havardii in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Quercus havardii in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Quercus havardii

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-02-23
Research By: TWC Staff

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