The species Q. rysophylla is a tree, brought under cultivation from Mexico around 1978, that is not hardy in north-western Europe. The cultivar 'Maya' arose from seedlings and proves significantly more hardy than the species. Forms a medium-sized tree with a dense round crown. The dark grey bark is initially smooth but will later detach with square slabs revealing the lighter surface. The young shoots are deep brown-orange to deep brown-red. The large elliptical leaves are rough with toothed margins. They are up to 25 cm long. The summer leaves are a glossy dark green. The round acorns are pointed and are two-thirds to half enclosed by the cup. They are very short-stalked and appear to sit almost directly on the twig. A surprising park tree for any soil, if sufficiently moist.
twigs dark olive green, bark dark grey, smooth, later with square plates peeling off
Leaf
elliptical, edge serrated, rough, glossy dark green, 15 - 25 cm, evergreen
Flowers
oval, pointed, 1 - 2 cm, cupule with attached scales, light brown
Fruits
David Bömer, Boomkwekerij Bömer, Zundert, The Netherlands, 2006
Spines/thorns
None
Toxicity
usually not toxic to people, (large) pets and livestock
Soil type
all, if sufficiently moisturised
Soil moisture
suitable for wet soil
Paving
tolerates no paving
Winter hardiness zone
6 (-23,3 to -17,8 °C)
Wind resistance
fair to good
Other resistances
resistant to frost (WH 1 - 6), can withstand wind, resistant to de-icing salt
Application
tree containers, roof gardens, industrial areas
Shape
clearstem tree, multi-stem treem
Origin
De soort Q. rysophylla is een, omstreeks 1978 vanuit Mexico in cultuur gebrachte boom, die in Noordwest-Europa niet winterhard is. De cultivar 'Maya' ontstond uit zaailingen en blijkt beduidend beter winterhard dan de soort. Vormt een middelgrote boom met een dichte ronde kroon. De donkergrijze bast is aanvankelijk glad maar zal later met vierkante platen loslaten waardoor de lichtere ondergrond zichtbaar wordt. De jonge scheuten zijn diep bruinoranje tot diep bruinrood. De grote elliptische bladeren zijn ruw en hebben een getande rand. Ze zijn tot 25 cm lang. Het zomerblad is glanzend donkergroen. De ronde eikels zijn gepunt en worden voor tweederde tot de helft door het napje omsloten. Ze zijn zeer kort gesteeld en lijken vrijwel direct op de twijg te zitten. Een verrassende parkboom voor iedere grond, mits voldoende vochthoudend.
Clear stem treeMulti-stem treeclay soilloamy soilpeaty soilsandy soiltolerates no pavingresistant to de-icing saltresistant to frost (WH 1 - 6)suitable for wet soilcan withstand wind2nd size, between 6 and 12 metreshalf-open crowngreenreddish brownyellowgreenaverage growingnon-toxic (usually)
Quercus rhysophylla 'Maya' can eventually reach a height of 5 - 6 m, depending on the site and climate conditions.
Quercus rhysophylla 'Maya' is average growing and can eventually reach a height of 5 - 6 m, depending on the site and climate conditions.
The right time to plant Quercus rhysophylla 'Maya' is during the dormancy period. In Western Europe, Quercus rhysophylla 'Maya' with root balls can generally be planted from mid-November to late April, although this depends strongly on the climatic conditions and the species of tree.