Quercus wislizenii (Interior Live Oak)

Photographs

My photos:

This oak was in bloom in March, along De Luz Road in San Diego County.

More photos:

click photo to enlarge

Plant Information

Fagaceae

In the garden:

An evergreen tree with a rounded top, mostly between 30 and 75 feet tall. Bark is smooth, but becomes broadly ridged near it’s base in old age. Leaves are shiny green and may be toothed. Acorns mature during the second year.

In the wild:

Interior live oak is a slow-growing, variable evergreen which grows as a large shrub or small tree Interior live oaks have been aged up to 150 to 200 years, although the root system is often much older. Interior live oak sprouts vigorously after fire or mechanical disturbance. Root crown sprouting frequently occurs after damage to the trunk or crown.
Stump-sprouting is also common after fire or timber harvest.

Ethnobotany:

The acorn of oak trees including the Interior Live Oak was a dietary staple to native people. Dried acorns could be stored for a year or more. The acorn was ground into a flour and leached with water to remove the tannins. It was then made into a type of mush flavored with berries or ground seeds, baked as a bread, pancake or soup. Acorn meal was used as payment for goods and services. Acorns were used as bait in hunting small animals, in children's games, strung as necklaces and as a musical instrument.

The dried wood of the Interior Live Oak was used as cooking and heating fuel. The bark was considered the best fuel for firing pottery, although the bark of other oaks was also used. It also provided a wash for sores when boiled into a decoction.

Field Trips
Anza Borrego Caspers Holy Jim Canyon Idyllwild
Joshua Tree Mt Palomar Rancho Santa Ana Torrey Pines
De Luz Road

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