Quercus garryana var. semota

Oregon white oak

Family: Fagaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Oregon white oak is a native shrub found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, San Francisco Bay Area, southern Coast Ranges, northeastern Transverse Ranges, and Modoc Plateau on dry slopes, in open conifer forests, and chaparral at elevations of 725 to 1,800 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces white to cream-colored flowers in small, inconspicuous clusters. Growing as a multi-trunked shrub or small tree 3 to 5 meters tall with spreading branches, it develops distinctive terminal buds 2 to 5 millimeters long. Its leaves are 5 to 9 centimeters long, with a distinctive undersurface covered in star-shaped hairs with 6 to 8 rays less than 0.3 millimeters long, giving the foliage a soft, textured appearance.

Habitat: dry slopes, open conifer forest, chaparral

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 725-1800 m

Bioregions: KR, NCoRI, CaR, SN, SnFrB, SCoRO, ne WTR (Sierra Pelona Ridge), MP.

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