Scientific Family
Fagaceae
Synonyms
Quercus chrysophyllus, Quercus crassipocula, Quercus fulvescens, Quercus wilcoxii
Other common names
canyon oak
goldcup oak
golden oak
Plant type
Trees
Riparian
Yes
Plant Description
Origin
Native
Similar species
Quercus dunnii
Grows as a tree or shrub 15 to 80 feet tall, 1 to 3 feet in diameter, short trunk, large branches nearly horizontal and a rounded, broad crown. Slow growing.
Evergreen tree with wide spreading branches, larger branch almost horizontal. Leaves broadly elliptic or ovate, pointed at the summit, not strongly veined, margins not lobed to deeply toothed.
Height
15 to 80 feet
Width
10 to 40 feet
Habitat
Habitat description
Mountain ridges, canyons, and moist slopes.
Plant Community
Riparian
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Montane Conifer Forest
Interior Chaparral
Low elevation
3500
High elevation
7500
Leaves
Leaf color
Dark green, grayish
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Round or oval
Leaf margin
Toothed
Leaf hairs
Bottom of leaves
Spines
No
Leaf Drop
Evergreen
Oblong to elliptical, thick and leathery, flat and 1 to 3-1/2 inches long. Tip is pointed. Margins may be smooth or toothed on the same branch. Dark green and shiny above while lower surfaces are paler, grayish, and covered with yellow hairs.
Flowers
Flower color
Brownish, greenish
Flower shape
Inconspicuous
Tubular
No
First bloom month
April
Last bloom month
May
Mostly wind-pollinated, flowers reduced; male flowers in heads or catkins, greenish, stamens 7 to 9; female flowers solitary or in groups of 3 or more, stigmas red, subtended by brown bracts that turn into woody caps which enclose or subtend the acorns.
Flower clusters
Elongated
Fruit
Fruit color
Light brown
Fruit type
Acorn or acorn-like
An elongated, egg-shaped acorn with a shallow, scaly cap and 1/2 to 1-1/2 inches long. Remains on the tree for 2 to 4 seasons. Mature between August and October.