Quercus durata
Leather oak
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Family: Fagaceae · Type: Shrub / Tree · Native
Quercus durata (Leather oak) is a native California shrub / tree in the Fagaceae family, recognized by . Parent species of two varieties.
Leather oak is a California native shrub found in the Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada foothills in chaparral and woodland habitats at elevations of 100 to 1,200 meters. Flowering from March to April, this plant produces small yellowish-green flowers in clusters. Growing as an evergreen shrub 1 to 5 meters tall with tomentose twigs that become glabrous with age, it forms dense, rounded thickets. Its leathery, oblong to elliptic leaves are 1.5 to 3 centimeters long with wavy margins often rolled under, featuring spiny-tipped teeth and a dull green upper surface. The fruit is a distinctive acorn cup 12 to 18 millimeters wide with a bowl-shaped profile and tubercled scales.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 0 sympatric species - geographically isolated. Parent species of two varieties.
Habitat and range
California counties: Napa, Mendocino, Lake, El Dorado, San Mateo, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Trinity, Monterey, Marin, Plumas, Tehama, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Sonoma, Los Angeles, Colusa, San Diego, Nevada, Butte, Placer, Glenn, Santa Barbara, Fresno, Stanislaus, Solano, Yuba, San Bernardino
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 durata native to California?
Yes. Quercus durata is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Quercus durata grow?
Quercus durata occurs in Napa, Mendocino, Lake, El Dorado, San Mateo, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Trinity and other counties.
What plant family does Quercus durata belong to?
Quercus durata is in the Fagaceae family, genus Quercus.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.