Quercus parvula

Identification

Gallery

Description

A coastal form of interior live oak that grows into a flat mat in some areas, growing into a small tree in others. Commonly associated with Bishop pine growing on sandy hilltop. Associated plants include Arctostaphylos purissima, Arctostaphylos rudis, Ceanothus impressus, Ceanothus ramulosus, Ceanothus cuneatus, Ceanothus megacarpus, Salvia mellifera, Ericameria , Pinus muricata, Arctostaphylos glandulosa Howellii, and POISON OAK. Rainfall is only about 12 inches, but the slopes get about 28 inches of fog drip. There are a few here and there in the Santa Lucias at least as far north as Monterey or Santa Cruz. They are very distinct in the leaf appearance, but the form is all highly variable, and the associated plants can be almost any species that is native in that area, but usually other oaks or pines. If you're designing a job to include these, sorry, no one grows them. We're working on them and would like to grow this oak as it is small and clean, but it hates our climate and doesn't appear to be very frost hardy. Sometimes called Quercus wislizenii var. frutescens. Some list two subspecies of this tree, parvula (the low one) and Shrevei(the tree form) but on South Vandenburg they grow together with the groundcover under the tree so I see no point in separating them. Smith in A Flora of Santa Barbara says "needs study'. Oaks.