valley oak

Quercus lobata

Family: Fagaceae.

Type: Deciduous tree.

Branching: Alternate.

Oak Group: White.

Leaves: Leaves are moderately to deeply pinnately lobed with rounded tips (unlike the pointed tips of the California black oak). The leaf upper surface is dark green and shiny, but the lower surface is white, because the valley oak is in the white oak group.

Twig: Clusters of buds are found at twig ends, like other oaks. The bark of mature trees has long light-colored strips with deep fissures between them.

Fruit & Flower: The acorn of the valley oak is very large and long, with the warty cap typical of the white oak group.

Miscellaneous: As with other oaks, galls are very common on the valley oak, of various types (one type is photographed below). The valley oak is endemic to California. It is found in valley areas with deep alluvial soil, often alongside creeks and rivers, although it is not strictly a riparian species. The canopy of the valley oak is disorganized, in contrast to that of the blue oak. It is not shade-tolerant.