Quercus john-tuckeri
Tucker's oak
(c) Garth Harwood, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Garth Harwood · licence
Family: Fagaceae · Type: Shrub / Tree · Native
Quercus john-tuckeri (Tucker's oak) is a native California shrub / tree in the Fagaceae family, recognized by small leaves and desert-edge habitat distinctive.
Tucker's oak is a California native shrub found in southern Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi, southern Coast Ranges, western Transverse Ranges, and southwestern Mojave Desert at elevations of 900 to 2,090 meters in desert border slopes, chaparral, and pinyon-juniper woodlands. Flowering from February to April, this oak produces small pale flowers in understated clusters. Growing as a dense evergreen shrub 2 to 5 meters tall with young twigs covered in fine soft hairs, it has a distinctive form with multiple stems. Its leathery leaves are oblong to elliptical, gray-green with irregular spine-toothed edges, measuring 1.3 to 2.8 centimeters long and featuring a rounded base and obtuse tip. The acorn cup is 10 to 15 millimeters wide, producing ovoid nuts 20 to 30 millimeters long that mature within a single year.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 25 sympatric species; small leaves and desert-edge habitat distinctive
Habitat and range
Habitat: Slopes on desert borders, chaparral, pinyon/juniper woodland
Elevation: 900-2090 m
California counties: Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Ventura, Monterey, Santa Barbara, San Benito, Sonoma, San Luis Obispo, Fresno
Bloom period
Quercus john-tuckeri blooms Feb-Apr.
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 john-tuckeri native to California?
Yes. Quercus john-tuckeri is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Quercus john-tuckeri bloom?
Quercus john-tuckeri blooms Feb-Apr.
Where in California does Quercus john-tuckeri grow?
Quercus john-tuckeri occurs in Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Ventura, Monterey, Santa Barbara and other counties, at elevations of 900-2090 m.
What plant family does Quercus john-tuckeri belong to?
Quercus john-tuckeri is in the Fagaceae family, genus Quercus.
What habitat does Quercus john-tuckeri grow in?
Quercus john-tuckeri grows in Slopes on desert borders, chaparral, pinyon/juniper woodland.
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.