Quercus durata var. gabrielensis

San gabriel oak, San Gabriel Oak

Family: Fagaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.2

San gabriel oak is a native shrub ranked 4.2 by CNPS, found in southeastern Transverse Ranges and southern Gabilan Range on southern slopes in chaparral and granitic landscapes at elevations of 450 to 1,000 meters. Flowering from April to May, this shrub produces small greenish-white flowers. Growing as a dense, low-spreading shrub reaching 1 to 3 meters tall with multiple twisted stems, it forms compact thickets in rocky terrain. Its leaves are distinctively leathery with slightly raised surfaces on the upper side and densely covered in short hairs on the underside, with margins that often curl slightly under. The compact growth and specialized leaf structure help this oak thrive in challenging, rocky chaparral environments.

Habitat: Chaparral, granitics

Bloom period: Apr-May

Elevation: 450-1000 m

Bioregions: se WTR, SnGb (s slope).

California counties: San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Riverside

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.