Bear oak (Quercus ilicifolia Wang.) is a common shrub or small tree in the mid-Atlantic states where it generally grows on acid, rocky or sandy, sterile soils (Wolgast 1974). Bear oak extends south from Maine to its southern limit in North Carolina where there are five small populations. These are located in the western Piedmont physiographic province on peaks of low mountains, with elevations of 460-760 m. Fortunately, four out of the five populations in North Carolina are in state parks where the species can be protected and managed; the fifth population is in an area slated for addition to a state park. Bear oak is recognized as a threatened, peripheral species in North Carolina (Hardin 1977) although it is not legally protected.