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Black Oak
Quercus kelloggii
  
About Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii) 41 Nurseries Carry This Plant The California Black Oak gets its name from the dark bark color of mature trees. It has distinctive, deeply lobed leaves that turn brilliant shades of yellow and orange in the fall. It is a large deciduous tree that can grow up to 80 feet tall. It also has a large, spreading root system.

Black Oak acorns are an important food source for a wide range of wildlife, including birds, deer, squirrels, and other mammals. It is also a host plant for butterflies and moths. It is a drought-tolerant tree with low moisture requirements. Black Oak grows best in acidic soil.
Quercus kelloggii. (n.d.). Sevenoaks Native Nursery. Retrieved October 18, 2023, from https://www.sevenoaksnativenursery.com/native-plants/trees/quercus-kelloggii/ ‌
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Tree

Size
Size
20 - 120 ft tall
35 ft wide

Form
Form
Upright, Rounded, Upright Columnar

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Moderate, Slow

Dormancy
Dormancy
Winter Deciduous

Fragrance
Fragrance
None

Flower Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Cream, Green

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Spring, Winter

Wildlife Supported
 
Numerous types of wildlife 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.

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 8 confirmed , 171 likely * ) SHOW ALL
Decodes fragariana Image
Decodes fragarianaDecodes fragariana
Chionodes trichostola Image
Chionodes trichostolaChionodes trichostola
Chionodes powelli Image
Chionodes powelliChionodes powelli
Xenolechia querciphaga Image
Xenolechia querciphagaXenolechia querciphaga
Stigmella variella Image
Stigmella variellaStigmella variella

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun, Part Shade, Full Shade

Moisture
Moisture
Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 2x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 0° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Medium

Soil Description
Soil Description
Occurs in many soil types. Prefers acidic soil.. Tolerates Serpentine Soil. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0

Common uses
Common uses
Bank Stabilization, Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens

Maintenance
Maintenance
Vulnerable to Sudden Oak Death. Sterilize any cutting tools before and after pruning to prevent infections and avoid spreading Sudden Oak Death

Propagation
Propagation?
By acorns. 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 1-2 mos. (USDA Forest Service 1974).

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6*, 7*, 8, 9, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17, 18*, 19, 20, 21

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Slopes and valleys between 2,000 and 8,000 ft. in the Coast Ranges, Transverse Range, Peninsular Range, and lower elevations of the Sierra, where it is found as part of deciduous oak woodland, mixed evergreen forest, or other woodland/forest type

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 5.6" - 151.3", Summer Precipitation: 0.15" - 5.78", Coldest Month: 10.8" - 54.1", Hottest Month: 34.1" - 79.3", Humidity: 0.10" - 29.60", Elevation: 5" - 14090"

Alternative Names
Common Names: California Black Oak, Cream Bush


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


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