Canyon Live Oak
Quercus chrysolepis
Canyon live oak is a sturdy evergreen oak of western canyons and slopes, with hard wood and golden-fuzzed young acorns. Tolerates rocky ground and shade, anchoring foothill and montane woodlands. Its acorns were a staple food for several tribes, leached of bitter tannins and ground into flour.
- Family
- Fagaceae
- Type
- tree
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 90–90 ft
- Spacing
- 30–60 ft apart
- Light
- sun
- Soil moisture
- moist
- Soil pH
- acidic, neutral
- Bloom
- March, April, May
- Bloom colors
- yellow
- Wildlife value
- butterflies, mammals, songbirds, larval host
- Caterpillar hosts
- ~557 butterfly & moth species
- Landscape uses
- specimen
- Native states
- AZ, CA, NM, NV, OR
Related native plants
More Quercus species
- Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
- Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
- White Oak (Quercus alba)
- Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia)
- Willow Oak (Quercus phellos)
- Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)