Blue Oak
Quercus douglasii
Also listed as Quercus ransomii
Climate Match for your location
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A native California oak with distinctive blue-gray foliage and a wide, spreading crown. Highly drought-tolerant and ideal for dry landscapes, it produces acorns that support local wildlife.
Why grow it
Blue oak outperforms most California natives in extremely dry foothill and interior valley settings where water availability is severely limited. Compared to coast live oak or valley oak, it requires less summer water once established and tolerates more extreme heat and poor soil conditions. It provides reliable acorn production for wildlife and creates dappled shade typical of open oak woodlands, making it useful for understory plantings in water-conscious California gardens.
Watch out for
Young trees benefit from consistent moisture during their first two to three growing seasons despite the species' eventual drought tolerance, requiring initial irrigation in most climates. Growth rates can be slower than some competing oak species, and the spreading crown form needs adequate space to develop without competition or pruning conflicts with structures or power lines.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Fagaceae
Native to the United States
Native Range
California (Sierra Nevada foothills and interior valleys)
Native to: California
Seasonality
Season of Interest
Canopy
The tallest trees that form the overstory.
Sub-canopy
Smaller trees living beneath the canopy.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Flood Tolerance
Deer Resistance
Inferred from USDA browse palatability
pH Range
Soil Texture
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
A native California oak with distinctive blue-gray foliage and a wide, spreading crown. Highly drought-tolerant and ideal for dry landscapes, it produces acorns that support local wildlife.
Climate Match for your location
See how well Blue Oak grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
Blue oak outperforms most California natives in extremely dry foothill and interior valley settings where water availability is severely limited. Compared to coast live oak or valley oak, it requires less summer water once established and tolerates more extreme heat and poor soil conditions. It provides reliable acorn production for wildlife and creates dappled shade typical of open oak woodlands, making it useful for understory plantings in water-conscious California gardens.
Watch out for
Young trees benefit from consistent moisture during their first two to three growing seasons despite the species' eventual drought tolerance, requiring initial irrigation in most climates. Growth rates can be slower than some competing oak species, and the spreading crown form needs adequate space to develop without competition or pruning conflicts with structures or power lines.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Fagaceae
Native to the United States
Native Range
California (Sierra Nevada foothills and interior valleys)
Native to: California
Seasonality
Season of Interest
Canopy
The tallest trees that form the overstory.
Sub-canopy
Smaller trees living beneath the canopy.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Flood Tolerance
Deer Resistance
Inferred from USDA browse palatability
pH Range
Soil Texture
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
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