Quercus engelmannii
Engelmann oak
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Family: Fagaceae · Type: Tree · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.2
Quercus engelmannii (Engelmann oak) is a native California tree in the Fagaceae family, recognized by blue-green foliage and entire margins distinctive from sympatric coast live oak.
Engelmann oak is a California native tree found in southern California, the southern Channel Islands, San Gabriel Mountains, and Peninsular Ranges in woodland and foothill slopes at elevations below 1,300 meters. Flowering from April to May, this tree produces small greenish flowers in characteristic oak clusters. Growing 5 to 25 meters tall with a gray, narrowly furrowed bark and evergreen canopy, it develops distinctive branching patterns with young twigs initially covered in fine hair. Its leathery leaves are oblong to obovate, 2 to 6 centimeters long, with a dull blue-green upper surface and pale blue-green undersides that are soft-hairy when young. The tree produces acorn cups 10 to 15 millimeters wide with slightly tubercled scales, maturing within one year.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 24 sympatric species; blue-green foliage and entire margins distinctive from sympatric coast live oak
Habitat and range
Habitat: Slopes, foothills, woodland
Elevation: < 1300 m
California counties: San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, Los Angeles, Orange, Santa Barbara, Solano, Yolo
Outside California: Baja California
Bloom period
Quercus engelmannii blooms Apr-May.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.2
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 engelmannii native to California?
Yes. Quercus engelmannii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Quercus engelmannii bloom?
Quercus engelmannii blooms Apr-May.
Where in California does Quercus engelmannii grow?
Quercus engelmannii occurs in San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, Los Angeles, Orange, Santa Barbara, Solano, Yolo, at elevations of < 1300 m.
What plant family does Quercus engelmannii belong to?
Quercus engelmannii is in the Fagaceae family, genus Quercus.
Is Quercus engelmannii rare or endangered?
Quercus engelmannii carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.2, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.