Quercus parvula

Coast oak

Family: Fagaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Coast oak is a California native shrub found in coastal habitats at elevations ranging from near sea level to moderate heights. Flowering in spring, this evergreen plant produces subtle greenish-yellow flowers typical of oak species. Growing as a multi-stemmed shrub 1 to 6 meters tall with an irregular, spreading form, it develops a complex branching structure. Its leaves are distinctive, ranging 3 to 9 centimeters long, with an oblong to ovate shape, featuring olive-green upper surfaces and lighter olive-green undersides with margins that can be spine-toothed or nearly smooth. The tree produces acorns in a bowl-shaped cup approximately 12 to 15 millimeters wide, with mature nuts developing over two years.

California counties: Santa Barbara, Marin, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Contra Costa, Monterey, Mendocino

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