Valley Oak, Quercus lobata

About Valley Oak (Quercus lobata) 61 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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The Valley Oak grows into the largest of North American oaks. It ranges over the hot interior valleys of California where there is a water table within reach of the roots. Valley Oaks grow quickly, reaching 20 feet in 5 years, and 40 feet in 10 years, and up to 60 feet in 20 years. Mature specimens may attain an age of up to 600 years. Its thick, ridged bark is characteristic and evokes alligator hide. The sturdy trunk of the Valley oak may exceed two to three meters in diameter and its stature may approach 100 feet in height.

The branches have an irregular, spreading and arching appearance that produce a profound leafless silhouette in the clear winter sky. During Autumn leaves turn a yellow to light orange color but become brown during mid to late fall. In advancing age the branches assume a drooping characteristic. Its pewter-colored rippled bark adds to the attractive aesthetic of this species. Typically, leaves are five to ten centimeters in length and are roundly and deeply lobed. The leaf width is approximately one half its length. Each leaf is matte green with an underneath pale green appearance; moreover, the leaf is covered with abundant soft fuzz, yielding an almost velvety feeling. When a fresh leaf is rubbed or broken, an aromatic scent is exuded, evoking a forest odor. The wood is a dull brown approaching yellow. Over most of the range, acorns fall in October. A variety of mammals and birds eat them, including the Acorn Woodpecker, Western Scrub Jay, Yellow-billed Magpie, and California ground squirrel. Like many oaks, Valley Oaks can tolerate wild fires. Although smaller individuals may be top-killed, most resprout from the root crown. Valley oak tolerates cool wet winters and hot dry summers, but requires abundant water. It is most abundant in rich deep soils of valley floors below 600 meters in elevation but can also be found at elevations up to 5,600 ft.. Valley oak is found in dense riparian forests, open foothill woodlands and valley savannas. Commonly associated trees are Coast live oak, Interior live oak, Blue oak, Black walnut, California Sycamore and Ghost pine. The Valley oak is widely distributed in the California Central Valley and many smaller valleys such as the San Fernando Valley.

Because of its eventual size, it may not be appropriate for the average residential garden. Best not to provide irrigation within 30 feet of established valley oaks. They'll often absorb too much water, causing limbs to break off.

They are messy but beautiful. Best to plant near a water source.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Tree

Size

60 - 100 ft tall
50 ft wide

Form

Rounded, Upright Columnar

Growth Rate

Fast, Moderate

Dormancy

Winter Deciduous

Fragrance

Fragrant - Pleasant

Flower Color

Yellow, Cream, Green

Flowering Season

Spring, Winter

Wildlife Supported

Oaks generally are very important to wildlife including birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. 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 ( 17 confirmed

, 152 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Mournful Duskywing Erynnis tristisErynnis tristis

Gold Hunter's Hairstreak Satyrium auretorumSatyrium auretorum

Elegant Sheepmoth Hemileuca eglanterinaHemileuca eglanterina

Fruit-Tree Leafroller Moth Archips argyrospilaArchips argyrospila

Western Tent Caterpillar Malacosoma californicaMalacosoma californica

Henricus umbrabasanaHenricus umbrabasana

Dyseriocrania auricyaneaDyseriocrania auricyanea

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun

Moisture

Low

Summer Irrigation

Max 2x / month once established

Nurseries

Carried by 61

Ease of Care

Very Easy

Soil Drainage

Medium

Soil Description

Prefers deep, rich soil but can utilize other soils if moisture is sufficient. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0

Common uses

Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens

Companion Plants

Other oaks (Quercus species), Black Walnut (Juglans species), Gray Pine (Pinus sabiniana), Oregon Ash (Fraxinus latifolia), Boxelder (Acer negundo), California Wild Rose (Rosa californica), Blackberry (Rubus species), Willow (Salix species), and native grasses.

Propagation?

For propagating by seed: Fresh seeds sow in fall outdoors or stratify to hold for spring sowing. (USDA Forest Service 1974).

Sunset Zones?

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

Natural Setting

Site Type

Inland valley floors, shallow slopes throughout most of the state; it is one of the key species of foothill woodland

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 6.6" - 90.7", Summer Precipitation: 0.13" - 4.11", Coldest Month: 9.0" - 56.0", Hottest Month: 32.7" - 79.3", Humidity: 0.10" - 27.72", Elevation: -3" - 13218"

Alternative Names

Common Names: California White 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

Valley Oak

Quercus lobata

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Valley OakQuercus lobata

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Valley Oak

Quercus lobata