Smooth-bark Lithocarpus Lithocarpus glaber Play pronunciation

Japanese oak is a multi-stemmed, broadleaf evergreen tree native to the temperate forests of Southern China, Japan, and Taiwan and is a member of the oak family (Fagaceae). It grows 20-30 feet tall and 10-15 feet wide with a broad, rounded crown and dense foliage. Its bark is smooth and gray; the leaves are glossy, leathery, elliptical to oblong, dark green on the upper surface, and pale or glaucous underneath. Inconspicuous male and female yellow blooms appear in the summer, followed by acorns with a woody cupule. The genus name Lithocarpus is derived from two Greek words: lithos, meaning stone, and karpos, meaning fruit. This refers to the tree's hard acorns.

Prefers full sun, high humidity, and moist, humus-rich or loamy, well-drained soils with an acidic to mildly alkaline pH. Protect from harsh cold weather, since the tree's leaves are prone to cold damage. It is hardy in zones 7-10. It tolerates pruning in late winter or early spring. The Japanese oak may also be pruned and shaped as a large shrub for screening and privacy. It is mildly resistant to deer, but its acorns are a food source and nesting site for wildlife, including birds and small mammals. Propagated by seeds. 

The Japanese oak has attractive year-round foliage and is best considered as a shade tree in an urban landscape or park.  As a shrub, it provides shade, privacy, and screening.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Monitor for aphids, scale, leaf miner, wood-boring beetles, and caterpillars. Generally disease-resistant but in poorly drained soils may be susceptible to root rot, leaf spot, and oak wilt. Protect from cold damage.

If the leaves or acorns are ingested, they are toxic to humans, cats, and dogs, causing gastrointestinal distress.