Canyon Live Oak, Quercus chrysolepis

About Canyon Live Oak (Quercus chrysolepis) 27 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Canyon live oak is a species of evergreen oak that is found in the southwestern part of North America, notably in the California Coast Ranges. It is the most wide-spread oak in the state. Its ultimate size and shade are determined by its location within the state. This tree is often found near creeks and drainage swales growing in moist cool microhabitats. Its leaves are a glossy dark green on the upper surface with prominent spines; a further rapid identification arises from the leaves of Canyon live oak being geometrically flat. They are often sympatric with Quercus agrifolia and several other oak species. Fossil data supports a much wider distribution throughout the western United States during the early Holocene period. Native Americans used the acorns of this species as a food staple, after leaching of the tannins; moreover, its roasted seed is a coffee substitute. After forest fires, Canyon live oak regenerates vigorously by basal sprouting, and the clonal diversity of this species has been shown to be high. Alternate common names for this taxon are Canyon oak and "Golden-Cup Oak".

Plant Description

Plant Type

Tree, Shrub

Size

30 - 90 ft tall
30 - 60 ft wide

Form

Upright, Rounded, Upright Columnar

Growth Rate

Moderate, Slow

Dormancy

Evergreen

Flower Color

Yellow, Cream, Green

Flowering Season

Spring, Winter

Wildlife Supported

Many insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals are attracted to oaks. Many insects are attracted to Oaks generally, including the following butterflies which use Oaks as host plant: California Sister, Propertius Duskywing, Mournful Duskywing, Golden Hairstreak, and Gold-Hunter's Hairstreak.
Bird gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 14 confirmed

, 166 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Western Tiger Swallowtail Papilio rutulusPapilio rutulus

California Sister Adelpha californicaAdelpha californica

Golden Hairstreak Habrodais grunusHabrodais grunus

Litocala Moth Litocala sexsignataLitocala sexsignata

Ophelia Underwing Catocala opheliaCatocala ophelia

Indiscrete Cissusa Moth Cissusa indiscretaCissusa indiscreta

Henricus umbrabasanaHenricus umbrabasana

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun, Part Shade, Shade

Moisture

Low

Summer Irrigation

Max 2x / month once established

Nurseries

Carried by 27

Ease of Care

Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to -15° F

Soil Drainage

Medium

Soil Description

Found in a wide variety of soils in various parts of the state. Soil PH: 5.0 - 7.0

Common uses

Bank Stabilization, Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens

Companion Plants

Because it is found over such a large part of the state, companion plants can vary considerably. Often found in mixed woodlands with Madrone (Arbutus menziesii), Bay Laurel (Umbellularia californica), Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), Bigcone Spruce (Pseudotsuga macrocarpa), Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa), Jeffrey Pine (Pinus jeffreyi), and Sugar Pine (Pinus lambertiana).

Propagation?

For propagating by seed: Fresh seeds sow in fall outdoors or stratify to hold for spring sowing. If started indoors or in glasshouse, stratify first for .5-2 mos. (USDA Forest Service 1974).

Sunset Zones?

1, 2, 3, 4*, 5*, 6*, 7*, 8, 9*, 10, 11, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24

Natural Setting

Site Type

Because this tree is so widely distributed around the state, its natural setting can vary considerably. It is most often found in foothills and canyons up to 9,000 ft., sometimes on north facing slopes or among boulder fields. Climates varies from very wet to semi-arid

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 5.1" - 155.1", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 6.01", Coldest Month: 10.8" - 56.7", Hottest Month: 34.1" - 81.1", Humidity: 0.14" - 34.09", Elevation: 7" - 14092"

Alternative Names

Botanical Names: Quercus chrysolepis var. nana
Common Names: Canyon Oak, Gold-cup Live Oak, Gold-cup Oak, Golden-cup Oak

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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Canyon Live Oak

Quercus chrysolepis

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Canyon Live OakQuercus chrysolepis

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Canyon Live Oak

Quercus chrysolepis