Quercus durata

Sunset

Zones 5, 7-10, 14-24

Full

Moderate

Leather Oak, Nuttall's Scrub Oak
Fagaceae
Evergreen, Shrubs

QUERCUS

Appearance and hardiness of Oaks vary widely, but all produce acorns preceded by inconspicuous flowers. Single nuts are more or less enclosed in a cuplike cap covered with many closely set scales. In some species, the acorns are edible,with a sweet flavor. Some oaks are widely planted over large areas, while others have a limited range

Quercus durata

Native to northernCoast Ranges to San LuisObispo area and to SierraNevada foothills, south to SanGabriel Mountains. In the wild,mostly confined to serpentinesoil (a kind of nutrient-poorsoil). Dense, rounded growth to10 ft. tall and 8–12 ft. wide.Bare and somewhat leggy to3–5 ft. aboveground, then forms open-branched tiers of foliage. Tough, oval, convex, 3/4–1-in.-long leaves have smooth or prickly edges; dark green above, pale gray beneath, with a dense coating of fine, soft hairs. Acorns variable: 1/2–1 in. long, often almost cylindrical, half-enclosed in a warty, bowl-shaped cap.