← Bedfellow

Blue Oak

Quercus douglasii

Drought-master of California's hot foothills, with blue-gray leaves and a gnarled silhouette. Extremely slow-growing and intolerant of summer irrigation. Its acorns were a staple food for Indigenous tribes, leached of bitter tannins from some trees before grinding into flour.

Family

Fagaceae

Type

tree

Lifespan

perennial

Height

60–60 ft

Spacing

30–60 ft apart

Light

sun

Soil moisture

dry, 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

CA