Quercus Section Lobatae Hybrid Cultivars

Quercus 'Agria'

Tree, ultimate size uncertain but 5 m × 7 cm dbh when seen in July in 2019. Shoots red-flushed and tomentose when young becoming glabrous. Leaves evergreen, glossy dark green above, paler and glossy beneath, thinly tomentose on both sides and bronze-tinged when young, becoming glabrous except for axillary tufts of hairs beneath, margins with 4–6 bristle-tipped teeth on each side. Acorns annual. (Pers. obs. AJC 2019).

A seedling of Quercus agrifolia raised at Iturraran Botanical Garden, Spain, from seed from Arboretum Chocha, France, and possibly a hybrid with Q. palustris. Although not yet named or available by 2021, this seems to be making a fine ornamental tree with holly-like foliage.

The original tree of Quercus 'Agria in July 2019 at Iturraran Botanical Garden, Spain. Image Maricela Rodriguez.

The second growth flush on Quercus 'Agria' in July 2019, showing the bronze young leaves. Iturraran Botanical Garden, Spain. Image Allen Coombes.

The holly-like leaves on Quercus 'Agria' have conspicuous tufts of hairs in the vein axils on the underside. Iturraran Botanical Garden, Spain, July 2019. Image Allen Coombes.

Undersides of new leaves on Quercus agria have not yet developed the characteristic tufts of hair in the vein axils; Iturraran Botanical Garden, Spain, 18 September 2014. Image Francisco Garin.

The acorns on Quercus 'Agria' appear to be ripening the first year as in the Q. agrifolia parent. Iturraran Botanical Garden, Spain, July 2019. Image Allen Coombes.

Acorn on Quercus 'Agria', clearly showing annual maturation, a characteristic of Q. agrifolia, one of the parent species; Iturraran Botanical Garden, Spain, 20 September 2020. Image Francisco Garin.

Quercus 'Bear Creek Ranch'

Tree, ultimate height uncertain. Leaves deciduous, obovate, to 11 × 9.5 cm with 1 or 2, sometimes 3 lobes on each side, the sinus above the basal pair is usually deep. Base rounded, sometimes oblique. They are glossy dark green above, paler beneath and finely pubescent, turning red-maroon in autumn. Petiole yellow, to 1.5 cm long. Fruits subsessile, borne singly or in clusters of 2 or 3, cupules to 1 × 2 cm, acorns 1.5 × 1.5 cm, dark brown with darker striations, and finely tomentose.

Propagated from a small, bushy tree found by Dirk Benoit and Allan Taylor in Uvalde County, Texas, selected for its attractive foliage and excellent red/maroon fall colour. It was originally thought to belong to Quercus × hastingsii (Q. buckleyi × marilandica) but seems most likely to be a hybrid of Q. marilandica var. ashei and Q. buckleyi. In cultivation grafted trees have reached 3 m after 6–7 years. The name ‘Bear Creek Ranch’ was on a sign close to where the plant was found. (Russell, Jablonski & Coombes 2021).

Quercus 'Bear Creek Ranch' foliage at Denver Botanic Gardens, USA, in August 2016. Image © Denver Botanic Gardens.

Autumn colour on a grafted plant of Quercus 'Bear Creek Ranch' at Pea Ridge Nursery, Missouri, USA, in October 2020. Image Ryan Russell.

Quercus 'Fire Water'

A deciduous to semi-deciduous tree. Leaves leathery, to 17 × 11 cm, intermediate between the parents in outline with 2–3 mucronate lobes on each side, reaching ⅔ of the way to the midrib, base rounded to truncate, petiole 20–25 mm.

It originated as a seedling of the Kentucky state champion Quercus nigra at Kentucky Dam St. Park pollinated by nearby Q. coccinea. Selected by Guy Sternberg at Starhill Forest Arboretum for its good habit and brilliant red autumn colour. The cultivar epithet ‘Fire Water’ derives from the fiery autumn colour of scarlet oak and the common name of water oak. ‘Firewater’ is also a term applied to Kentucky whiskey and other strong alcoholic drinks (Jablonski 2013).

The original tree of Quercus 'Fire Water' at Starhill Forest Arboretum, Illinois, USA, in August 2013. Image Guy Sternberg.

The original tree of Quercus 'Fire Water' at Starhill Forest Arboretum, Illinois, USA, showing exceptional colour in December 2012. Image Guy Sternberg.

The glossy green leaves on Quercus 'Fire Water' are intermediate between those of the parents. Starhill Forest Arboretum, Illinois, USA, August 2013. Image Guy Sternberg.

Autumn colour on Quercus 'Fire Water' at Starhill Forest Arboretum, Illinois, USA, in November 2007. Image Guy Sternberg.

The foliage of the second flush growth on Quercus 'Fire Water' is bright red. Starhill Forest Arboretum, Illinois, USA, August 2017. Image Guy Sternberg.

As leaves on Quercus 'Fire Water' mature, they turn to bronze and green. Starhill Forest Arboretum, Illinois, USA, May 2012. Image Guy Sternberg.

Quercus 'Mauri'

Tree of columnar habit when young, broader with age, said to reach 20–25 m tall with a width of 5–7 m. Young shoots glaucous-bloomed. Leaves deciduous, elliptic to obovate in outline, to about 14 cm long and nearly as much across. Margin variously lobed, often to more than ½ way to the midrib, with up to 3 aristately toothed lobes on each side. Apical lobe often with 3 teeth, base tapered. They are slightly glossy green above and matt pale green beneath with small tufts of brown hairs in the vein axils, emerging bronze-red when young and turning red in autumn. Petiole to about 4 cm long, flushed with red towards the base. Acorns about 2 cm, borne in a shallow cup and ripening the second year. (Mauritz 2010; Van Den Berk Nurseries 2025, pers. obs. AJC).

Quercus ‘Mauri’ was selected in about 1955 in the nursery of Francesco Mauri, Pistoia, Italy, for its narrow habit and beautiful red autumn colour that resembles that of Q. coccinea. Said to be a hybrid of Q. coccinea and Q. palustris or Q. rubra, the involvement of the latter species is shown as the cupule is very shallow, the leaves are not very glossy on either side and the petiole base is red. Although it was claimed to be sterile, a tree seen at the Bömer Nursery, Zundert, the Netherlands, in July 2005 had young acorns maturing (pers. obs. AJC).

A tree planted in 1996 at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire, UK was 13.5 m × 21 cm in 2021 (The Tree Register 2025). At Arboretum du Passadou, France, it was about 15 m tall in 2024 (Chassé & Haddock 2025). The tree in the Bömer Nursery was about 10 m tall and 5 m wide in 2005 (pers. obs. AJC).

Quercus 'Mauri' as a street tree in the City of London, UK; September 2018. Image Owen Johnson.

Quercus 'Mauri' at the Bömer Nursery, Zundert, Netherlands, in September 2009, showing the compact, ovoid crown. Image Gert Fortgens.

Quercus 'Mauri' foliage on a tree at Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire, UK. August 2021. Image Maricela Rodríguez.

Quercus 'Mauri' foliage and acorn of a tree at the Bömer nursery, Zundert, the Netherlands, in September 2009. Image Gert Fortgens.

Colourful second flush growth on Quercus 'Mauri' at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire, UK. 22 July 2019. Image Tom Christian.

Quercus 'Mauri' foliage at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, UK, in 2009. Image ©Jan De Langhe, Ghent University Botanical Garden, 2009.

Quercus 'Piers Trehane'

Tree, ultimate height uncertain, bark grey and smooth when young, becoming cracked and fissured with age, young shoots grey-tomentose. Leaves deciduous or semi-evergreen, ovate to oblong, to 8 × 3 cm, apex rounded to bluntly pointed, ending in a short bristle tip, margin entire. They are glossy dark green and almost glabrous above, densely white-tomentose beneath, becoming tawny with age. The tomentum rubs off easily, unlike that of Q. hypoleucoides. Petiole 5–7 mm, tomentose. Acorns start to form but do not ripen and fall before they mature. (Jablonski 2012).

This tree was grown at Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire, UK, as Quercus hypoleucoides and was 14.5 m × 47.8 cm in 2023 (B. Clarke, pers. comm. 2025). It is particularly attractive in spring when the emerging leaves and male flower buds are red. The cultivar was not selected for its ornamental characteristics, but rather the name was provided for the plants distributed by the Hillier Nurseries as Q. hypoleucoides, propagated from the plant in the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens. It is suspected to be a hybrid between Q. hypoleucoides and Q. emoryi.

It is named after Piers Trehane (1950–2011), for many years the ICRA registrar of oaks for the International Oak Society, as well as a long-term member. Piers also built the database for the affiliated website www.oaknames.org (Jablonski 2012). Allen Coombes proposed naming this plant after him, as Piers always parked his car near the tree when he came to visit the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens.

The original tree of Quercus 'Piers Trehane' at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire, UK, in April 2021. Image Barry Clarke.

Trunk of the original tree of Quercus 'Piers Trehane' at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire, UK, in April 2021. Image Barry Clarke.

Red male flower buds on Quercus 'Piers Trehane' at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire, UK, in April 2021. Image Barry Clarke.

Young foliage on Quercus 'Piers Trehane' at Chevithorne Barton, Devon, UK, in August 2009. Image © James MacEwen.

Foliage of the original tree of Quercus 'Piers Trehane' at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire, UK, in October 2009 showing the easily detachable tomentum. Image © Jan De Langhe - Ghent UBG.

Quercus 'Souvenir de Jacques Lombarts'

This name was given to a tree distributed by nurseries in continental Europe as Quercus × schochiana (Q. palustris × Q. phellos). Its origin is unknown and the parentage and ultimate size uncertain. A new name was applied as the plants distributed clearly did not belong to Q. × schochiana.

The shoots are densely grey-hairy when young, becoming glabrous. Leaves narrow elliptic, entire or nearly so, especially on the first flush, or with up to 6–8 shallow, bristle-tipped teeth on each side, pale glossy green and sparsely stellate hairy above when young, becoming glabrous, densely grey-white-tomentose beneath at first, becoming green and glabrous. It was distributed by the Bömer Nursery, Zundert, the Netherlands, as Q. × schochiana and was propagated from a tree at Hemelrijk, Belgium. The name was suggested by Martyn and Jo Bömer to honour the Dutch nurseryman and dendrologist Jacques Lombarts, one of the founders of the International Dendrology Society (Coombes & Jablonski 2006).

Trees at Chevithorne Barton, Devon, UK were 8 m × 12 cm and 6 m × 12 cm in 2017 (The Tree Register 2025).

A young tree of Quercus 'Souvenir de Jacques Lombarts' at Halloughton Grange, Warwickshire, UK, in September 2021. Image Maricela Rodríguez.

Foliage of Quercus 'Souvenir de Jacques Lombarts' at Halloughton Grange, Warwickshire, UK, in September 2021, showing the narrow, toothed leaves. Image Maricela Rodríguez.

The leaves of the second flush Quercus 'Souvenir de Jacques Lombarts' are more deeply toothed than those of the first flush. Halloughton Grange, Warwickshire, UK. September 2021. Image Maricela Rodríguez.

Bark of Quercus 'Souvenir de Jacques Lombarts' at Halloughton Grange, Warwickshire, UK in September 2021. Image Maricela Rodríguez.

Young foliage on Quercus 'Souvenir de Jacques Lombarts' at Chevithorne Barton, Devon, UK, in September 2008. Image © James MacEwen.