Quercus wislizeni
Interior live oak
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Fagaceae · Type: Shrub / Tree · Native
Quercus wislizeni (Interior live oak) is a native California shrub / tree in the Fagaceae family, recognized by Interior evergreen oak; leaves flat, glabrous & shiny both sides, yellow-green beneath.
Interior live oak is a California native shrub found in diverse oak woodland and chaparral habitats throughout the central and northern California mountain ranges. Flowering from March to May, this evergreen shrub produces small inconspicuous flowers typical of oak species. Growing 2 to 4 meters tall with a furrowed, checkered gray bark, it develops a dense, multi-stemmed form with sturdy branches. Its leathery leaves are dark green and shiny on the upper surface, oblong to elliptic, with margins that range from entire to spine-toothed and generally have an acute, abruptly pointed tip. The mature acorns develop in a cup-shaped to hemispheric shell and take two years to fully mature.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Interior evergreen oak; leaves flat, glabrous & shiny both sides, yellow-green beneath
Habitat and range
California counties: Kern, Los Angeles, Tulare, San Bernardino, San Diego, Ventura, Mendocino, Santa Cruz, Orange, El Dorado, Riverside, Lake, Butte, Calaveras, Amador, Humboldt, Contra Costa, Nevada, Inyo, Fresno, Napa, Yolo, Shasta, Santa Barbara, Placer, San Luis Obispo, Mariposa, Santa Clara, San Joaquin, Tehama, Yuba, Colusa, Glenn, Solano, Alameda, Madera, Marin, Monterey, San Benito, San Mateo, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Trinity, Tuolumne, Sacramento, Sierra
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 wislizeni native to California?
Yes. Quercus wislizeni is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Quercus wislizeni grow?
Quercus wislizeni occurs in Kern, Los Angeles, Tulare, San Bernardino, San Diego, Ventura, Mendocino, Santa Cruz and other counties.
What plant family does Quercus wislizeni belong to?
Quercus wislizeni is in the Fagaceae family, genus Quercus.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Quercus wislizeni var. frutescens — Bush interior live oak
- Quercus wislizeni var. wislizeni — Interior live oak
- Quercus ×acutidens
- Quercus agrifolia — Coast live oak
- Quercus agrifolia var. agrifolia — California live oak
- Quercus agrifolia var. oxyadenia — Coastal live oak
- Chrysolepis chrysophylla — Giant chinquapin
- Chrysolepis chrysophylla var. chrysophylla — Giant chinquapin
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.