Quercus chrysolepsis, Canyon Live Oak (22)

The Canyon Live Oak is the most widely distributed oak in California (Pavlik et al, 1991). It grows anywhere from sea level to 9000 feet, from Baja to Oregon. It is abundant in mountain canyons, on hill slopes, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, and in the Coast Ranges. Its range, however, is limited by snowfall and fire, the latter of which are few today.

The morphology of the Canyon Live Oak varies dramatically depending on the conditions of its habitat (Cockrell, 1976; Stuart and Sawyer, 2001). In moist, nutrient rich areas, it can be 50 feet tall, with a single trunk and dense, rounded canopy. In less ideal conditions, it can be a multi stemmed shrub of much shorter stature. In marginal conditions it appears more shrub-like, and hugs the ground. The bark of the Canyon Live Oak is generally grey to white in color and is shallowly striped.

The Canyon Live Oak has elliptical leaves about 1 inch to 2.5 inches long. They are shiny above and darker green beneath, with small hairs. Younger leaves have spiny margins, while older leaves are entire. Both types of leaves can appear on an individual tree, making the Canyon Live Oak sometimes difficult to identify. The tree produces acorns that are held in thick, corky caps which are covered by small hairs (Stuart and Sawyer, 200.