Kermes Oak
Quercus coccifera
Fagaceae, Beech Family
Abram traveled through the land as far as the oak tree of Moreh at Shechem. (At that time the Canaanites were in the land.) The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So Abram built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
Genesis 12:6–7 NET
Find oak in God's Word for Gardeners Bible featured in the Garden Work devotions on Choosing, beginning on page a-21
"They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
Isaiah 61:3 NIV
Cultural Information
| Type | Ornamental Tree |
| Height | 6 to 35 feet or more |
| Soil | stony, well-draining, modestly watered |
| Exposure | full sun to dappled shade |
| Leaves | evergreen, oblong, serrated edges with small spines at points, moss green, glossy, to 2 inches long |
| Flowers | petite racemes form as strands in clusters, male and female on same tree, ochre-colored, to 3 inches long |
| Fruit | spiny caps cover half the acorn, oval shaped, 2 inch length, 1 inch width |
Planting Tips
- hardy to Zone 6
- Kermes oak is native to the Mediterranean and northern Europe, and is not commercially available in the United States
- Kermes oak is evergreen, with an overall mounded form as it matures
- Its form is similar to the Live Oaks of the southern and western US, but notice the differences in leaves and acorns
- Kermes oaks host the the kermes insect, Coccus ilicis, known also as the Crimson worm. Crimson dye used in Biblical times was sourced from the insects on these trees.
Garden to Table
- oak branches provide wonderful shade in the landscape, but are stiff and brutish to work with in floral arrangements
- acorns give a rustic touch scattered beneath a table centerpiece, or massed in glass jars or vases
- gather acorns for craft projects, such as garland or wreath-making for the holidays
- acorns are edible, although it is recommended to cook the acorn pulp in order to leach out their high concentration of tanins
More Research
See Blog Posts on Kermes OakMatching all that we perceive of the oak tree is a linguistic connection in Hebrew: the same root word, El, is used for God and for oak, meaning “might,” strength,” “power.” When God told Abram he would be made into a great nation, Abram believed him. Not that he necessarily understood how, but Abram believed God had the power to do what he promised (Romans 4:21). So Abram went to Canaan, as God told him to do, and entered the land at Shechem. A great oak tree awaited his arrival...
-from the NIV God's Word for Gardeners Bible
"They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
Isaiah 61:3 NIV
Photo Credits
ID 83401969 © Sterphotography | Dreamstime.com Two kermes oak in front of the sun in Greece
Photo 113817942 © Iva Vagnerova | Dreamstime.com Quercus coccifera, kermes oak with leaves and acorns, branches, sunny weather
Sketch by J.D. Hooker, Transactions of the Linnean Society of London (1791-1875), vol. 23 (1862) t. 36, Quercus coccifera L., contributed to www.plantillustrations.org by Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, U.S.A.
