Quercus ×alvordiana
(c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · licence
Family: Fagaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Quercus ×alvordiana is a native California shrub in the Fagaceae family, recognized by hybrid nature complicates field identification.
Alvord oak is a California native shrub found in the Tehachapi, southern Coast Ranges, and western Transverse Ranges on dry slopes and hills at elevations of 180 to 1,300 meters. Flowering from January to March, this plant produces inconspicuous flowers typical of oak species. Growing as a compact shrub to small tree less than 3 meters tall, it can be evergreen or deciduous with a variable growth form. Its leaves are distinctive, measuring 1.5 to 5 centimeters long with oblong to widely elliptic blades that are blue- to gray-green on top, pale green underneath, and have irregularly coarse teeth along the margins. The mature acorn cup is 10 to 16 millimeters wide, bowl-shaped with light brown, slightly tubercled scales, containing a 20 to 40 millimeter nut that is narrowly ovoid and asymmetric.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 21 sympatric species; hybrid nature complicates field identification
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry slopes, hills
Elevation: 180-1300 m
Bloom period
Quercus ×alvordiana blooms Jan-Mar.
How to tell it apart
vs Prunus: Quercus has acorns in cups; cherries/plums have fleshy round fruits.; vs Notholithocarpus: Quercus has drooping catkins; tanoak has upright flower spikes.; vs Rhamnus: Quercus has acorns; buckthorns have berry-like fruits.; vs Ceanothus: Quercus has acorns; California lilacs have small capsule fruits.; vs Platanus: Quercus has acorns; sycamores have hanging ball-shaped seed clusters.
Frequently asked questions
Is Quercus ×alvordiana native to California?
Yes. Quercus ×alvordiana is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Quercus ×alvordiana bloom?
Quercus ×alvordiana blooms Jan-Mar.
What plant family does Quercus ×alvordiana belong to?
Quercus ×alvordiana is in the Fagaceae family, genus Quercus.
What habitat does Quercus ×alvordiana grow in?
Quercus ×alvordiana grows in dry slopes, hills.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.