California Oaks III

The common oaks of California mountain communities.

Acorn matures in one season (at end of new stems)

Acorn matures in two seasons (on older stems)

I. Evergreen

Quercus agrifolia, Q. x alvordiana, Q.dumosa, Q. durata, Q. sadleriana, Q. turbinella

II. Deciduous

Quercus garryana var. breweri, Q. douglasii, Q.engelemannii, Q. garryana, Q. lobata

III. Evergreen

Quercus chrysolepis, Q. parvula, Q. tomentella, Q. vaccinifolia, Q. wislizenii, Lithocarpus densiflorus (Tanbark Oak)

IV. Deciduous

Q. kelloggii, Q. palmeri

Oak relationship chart

How to take care of your oak trees.

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III. California oaks that bear acorns on the second season's growth and are evergreen .

Quercus chrysolepis, Canyon Live Oak leaves - grid24_12

Canyon Live Oak- Quercus chrysolepis is large, with a not -so -round form, evergreen, with mostly prickly leaves, (but sometimes smooth) and lives where there is richer soils and decent rainfall. (Loamy clay and 30 plus inches rainfall/year)

Quercus chrysolepis., Canyon Live Oak along the desert edge. - grid24_12

Santa Cruz Island Oak (Quercus parvula var. parvula) is a scrub oak that grows primarily in the Santa Ynez Mountains on ridge tops and in north slope canyons, and also on Santa Cruz Island!

Island Oak, Quercus tomentella is native to the Channel Islands has very large acoorns - grid24_12

The Island Oak, Quercus tomentella, is a prehistoric -looking tree.

Interior live oak leaves are rather flat - grid24_12

Interior Live Oak (Quercus wislizenii) can have smooth leaves or almost holly- like leaves (as shown in this photo).

Interior Live Oak is not as drought tolerant, though, as Coast Live Oak in that it needs a little more rainfall. In our area the Interior Live Oak is found only at higher elevations where the rainfall is above 40 inches on a regular basis. It is commonly associated with California Bay (Umbellularia californica) and Madrone (Arbutus menziesii). In the nursery this live oak hates our cold winters and hot dry summers.

What Oak has a tan, but ? Tanbark Oak isn't really a true oak, it's a Lithocarpus, which is very closely related. Tanbark Oak (Lithocarpus densiflorus)