Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia)
The coast live oak is an evergreen tree with broadly-rounded crown and short trunk, and masses of dark-green foliage borne on wide-spreading, sturdy branches. Ordinarily 25-50 feet tall, older trees can grow to 90 feet. Bark is grayish brown to black and roughly furrowed. Leaves are shiny dark green above and gray-green underneath, with spiny tips on downturned edges. Acorns are slender, pointed, and deeply set in fringed cups. Common on the rolling hills of the coast ranges, coast live oaks often are mixed with valley oaks and blue oaks.
California Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii)
The black oak tree is most common on dry and rocky soils. It usually has an irregular, open, rounded form, and is often bent or leaning. Commonly 50-75 feet tall, older trees can grow taller. Bark is blackish brown and heavily-ridged. Leaves are deep yellow-green above and paler green underneath, 3-6 inches long, with 5-7 toothed lobes. Leaves are shed in autumn; new leaves are reddish when they unfold in spring. Acorns are almost globular, up to 1-1/2 inches long, deeply set in large, scaly cups. Black oak mingles with Ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, madrone and tanoak.
Copyright Mendocino Environmental Center 2001
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