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Blue Oak - Acorns
(Quercus douglasii)
Description: Tree with short, leaning trunk; short, stout branches; broad, rounded crown; and brittle, hairy twigs; sometimes shrubby.Height: 20-60' (6-18 m).
Diameter: 1' (0.3 m).
Leaves: 1 1/4-4" (3-10 cm) long, 3/4-1 3/4" (2-4.5 cm) wide. Oblong or elliptical, rounded or blunt at both ends; shallowly 4- or 5-lobed, coarsely toothed or without teeth; thin but stiff. Pale blue-green and nearly hairless above, paler and slightly hairy beneath.
Bark: light gray, thin, scaly.
Acorns: 3/4-1 1/4" (2-3 cm) long; elliptical, broad or narrow, with shallow cup or warty scales; stalkless or nearly so; maturing first season.
Habitat: Dry, loamy, gravelly, and rocky slopes; with other oaks and Digger Pine.
Range: N. to S. California mostly in foothills of Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada; at 300-3500' (91-1067 m).
Discussion: Recognized from a distance by the bluish foliage, this handsome California oak was named for its discoverer, David Douglas (1798-1834), the Scottish botanical explorer. It is used principally for fuel. The acorns, often abundant, are eaten by livestock as well as by wildlife.