Quercus garryana
Oregon oak, Oregon Oak
(c) John Rusk, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Fagaceae · Type: Shrub / Tree · Native
Quercus garryana (Oregon oak) is a native California shrub / tree in the Fagaceae family, recognized by . Parent species of three varieties.
Oregon oak is a native shrub or small tree found in diverse California habitats from coastal to interior regions, typically growing at moderate elevations. Flowering in spring, this deciduous oak produces small, inconspicuous flowers as a precursor to its distinctive acorn development. Growing from 0.3 to 5 meters tall with a thin, scaly light gray bark, the tree features short-hairy twigs that mature to a red-brown color. Its leaves are elliptic to obovate, 5 to 15 centimeters long, with 5 to 7 deep lobes, appearing shiny dark green on the upper surface and dull light green underneath with short hairs. The acorns mature in a cup-shaped shell 12 to 25 millimeters wide, with an ovoid nut 20 to 30 millimeters long that develops within a textured, tubercled cup.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 0 sympatric species - geographically isolated. Parent species of three varieties.
Habitat and range
California counties: Kern, Sonoma, Siskiyou, Mendocino, Butte, Trinity, Glenn, Shasta, Lake, Contra Costa, Napa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Marin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Amador, Monterey, Tehama, Santa Clara, Plumas, Lassen, Solano, Nevada, Colusa, Madera, Yuba, Tulare, Fresno, Los Angeles, Alameda, Santa Barbara
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 garryana native to California?
Yes. Quercus garryana is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Quercus garryana grow?
Quercus garryana occurs in Kern, Sonoma, Siskiyou, Mendocino, Butte, Trinity, Glenn, Shasta and other counties.
What plant family does Quercus garryana belong to?
Quercus garryana 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.