Quercus kelloggii

• Grow your own California Black Oak, a massive-limbed west coast native
  
• Bulk tree deal for landscaping projects, windbreaks, restoration and reforestation work, and other large-scale plantings
  
• Seed-grown on California's Redwood Coast
• Transplanting and care instructions included
  
  

Highlights

	Moisture Low
	Cold Hardiness 0°F
	Light Full Sun
	Size 30 – 80' tall / 30 – 60' spread
	Lifespan 400 yrs
	Growth Rate Medium
	Drought Tolerance High
	Wind Resistance Medium

Tree Story

About California Black Oak

California Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii) is a West Coast native, growing in foothills and lower mountain regions from Central Oregon down to Baja California. It often grows in mixed conifer forests dominated by Ponderosa Pine, and is especially impressive in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, where it occasionally bursts forth in pure stands.

California Black Oak can grow to 80 feet tall with a 60-foot spread, making it a large, imposing tree. It features a thick (2 to 8 feet across), often-forked trunk and massive limbs clad in blackish-grey bark. Black Oak's deeply lobed leaves provide a vibrant display of color in each season. In spring, the oak's new leaves are velveteen, tinged with fuchsia and pale rose. As summer progresses, the 4 to 8-inch leaves move through bright, translucent yellow-green into a lustrous dark green on top, pale green underneath. In Autumn, Black Oak's foliage tends toward tawny yellow, russet, and rich, golden brown.

California Black Oak has been an important human resource for centuries. Native Americans relied on this species for its strong, durable wood and as a staple food source, its acorns considered the best-tasting by native tribes throughout California and Oregon. It grows well in areas with hot summers and cold winters, coping well with dry conditions, and prefers coarse, well-drained soils. California Black Oak makes a great street tree or ornamental, and requires a bright, sunny location.

Size Chart

Seedling Size Chart: Medium

Due to the dynamic nature of actively growing trees, as well as the tremendous variation between species’ growth rates, we rely on the cubic volume of a seedling’s root mass to determine its “size” (Small / Medium / Large / XL). Within each size there is minor variance — the dimensions provided here represent the category minimum. If exact measurements are essential, please contact us about current stock.