Quercus miquihuanensis - Trees and Shrubs Online

The deeply veined glossy green leaves make Quercus miquihuanensis a handsome foliage plant. Thenford Arboretum, Northamptonshire, UK. September 2021. Image Maricela Rodriguez.

Shrub to 4 m tall but larger and sometimes with a single stem and tree-like in cultivation. Shoots stout, grey-tomentose when young becoming glabrous with prominent lenticels. Leaves evergreen, rigid and leathery, ovate to elliptic or lanceolate, to 6 × 2 cm, apex blunt to pointed, bristle-tipped, base rounded to slightly heart shaped, margin entire and revolute, sometimes undulate, rarely with few small teeth. They are red and hairy above, with a dense whitish tomentum beneath when they emerge, becoming glossy dark green above, with 5–10 impressed veins on each side of the midrib. On the lower surface the veins are conspicuously raised and the tomentum turns to yellow-brown. Petiole tomentose, to 9 mm long. Fruits solitary or in pairs on a peduncle to 2 cm long, cupules hemispherical, to 11 × 12 mm, acorns ovoid, 8–12 × 7–9 mm, about ⅓ to ¼ included in the cup and ripening the second year. (Nixon & Muller 1993).

Distribution Mexico Nuevo León, Tamaulipas

Habitat Pine-oak forest and dry scrub at 2300–3050 m with pines, Populus, Arctostaphylos pungens, Ceanothus, Comarostaphylis polifolia, Garrya and Agave.

USDA Hardiness Zone 8

RHS Hardiness Rating H4

Conservation status Endangered (EN)

Introduced in 2004 by Mark Fillan and Nick Macer from above Miquihuana, Tamaulipas, Mexico, and now in many collections. In the UK, plants from this collection are at: Buckingham Palace, London, where it was 1 m tall in 2020 (Mark Lane, pers. comm.); Chevithorne Barton, Devon, 2 m in 2017; and Thenford House, Northamptonshire, 4 m in 2019 (The Tree Register 2025). At Sir Harold Hillier Gardens it was 5.2 m in 2023 (B. Clarke, pers. comm. 2025). It is also grown at Halloughton Grange, Warwickshire, at Penrice Castle, Wales, and at The Yorkshire Arboretum. In mainland Europe it is grown at Arboretum Trompenburg, the Netherlands, and in France, at Arboretum Chocha, Arboretum de la Bergerette, where it was about 5 m tall in 2019 (pers. obs. AJC), Arboretum des Pouyouleix and Arboretum du Passadou.

Developing new shoots and inflorescences of Quercus miquihuanensis (Yorkshire Arboretum, UK, 11 May 2025). Image John Grimshaw.

Quercus miquihuanensis at Halloughton Grange, Warwickshire, UK in September 2021, proving hardy and bearing acorns. Image Maricela Rodriguez.

*Quercus miquihuanensis] had reached a large size at Halloughton Grange, Warwickshire, UK in September 2021. Image Maricela Rodriguez.

Acorns ripening on Quercus miquihuanensis at Halloughton Grange, Warwickshire, UK in September 2021. Image Maricela Rodriguez.

Acorns ripening on Quercus miquihuanensis at Thenford, Northamptonshire, UK in September 2021. The remains of female flowers that will develop into acorns the next year, are also visible. Image Maricela Rodriguez.

Quercus miquihuanensis growing vigorously at Thenford, Northamptonshire, UK in September 2021. Image Maricela Rodriguez.

The normally entire leaves of Quercus miquihuanensis can occasionally have teeth on vigorous second growths. Thenford Arboretum, Northamptonshire, UK, September 2021. Image Maricela Rodriguez.

Quercus miquihuanensis: characteristic, deeply veined leaves and an acorn ripening on the previous year's growth at Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire, UK in August 2021. Image Maricela Rodriguez.

*Quercus miquihuanensis] leaves have an attractive tawny tomentum on their undersides and a narrowly revolute margin. Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire, UK. August 2021. Image Maricela Rodriguez.

Showy male catlkins on Quercus miquihuanensis from F&M 213 at Arboretum des Pouyouleix, France, in June 2021. Image Béatrice Chassé.

Vigorous young shoots on Quercus miquihuanensis from F&M 213 show pink-flushed expanding leaves at Arboretum des Pouyouleix, France in June 2021. Image Béatrice Chassé.

The leaves of Quercus miquihuanensis from F&M 213 are persistently tomentose beneath, seen at Arboretum des Pouyouleix, France in June 2021. Image Béatrice Chassé.

The acorns of Quercus miquihuanensis from F&M 213 are just starting to develop on shoots of the previous year at Arboretum des Pouyouleix, France in June 2021. The remains of the male flowers can be seen on growth of the current year. Image Béatrice Chassé.

Leaf selection on Quercus miquihuanensis, with the lamina ovate to lanceolate, revolute at margin (Villemomble, France – 11 October 2025). Image © Jan De Langhe.

Foliage on Quercus miquihuanensis D 0765 in the garden of Olivier Collin, Villemomble, France. Acorns were collected in 2000 by Carl Schoenfield from Yucca Do Nursery, at Tamaulipas, north face of Cerro Peña Nevada. The height is now more than 9 m (11 October 2025). Image © Jan De Langhe.

The underside of the foliage on Quercus miquihuanensis shows diminishing tawny pubescence (Villemomble, France – 11 October 2025). Image © Jan De Langhe.

Lamina upper surface, with impressed veins and yellowish-brown pubescent shoot and petioles on Quercus miquihuanensis (Villemomble, France – 11 October 2025). Image © Jan De Langhe.

Lamina apically bristle tipped, lower surface with raised veins and yellowish-brown tomentum on Quercus miquihuanensis (Villemomble, France – 11 October 2025). Image © Jan De Langhe.

Quercus miquihuanensis Nixon & C.H.Mull.

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