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Quercus turbinella Greene
Sonoran scrub oak, Shrub live oak, Turbinella
Fagaceae (Beech Family)
USDA Symbol: QUTU2
USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.
Shrub live oak is almost always a dense shrub, 6-12 ft. high, however it may become more tree-like in favorable habitats. Rigid branches bear attractive, gray-green, bristle-tipped leaves. The holly-like leaves unfold a reddish color, changing to shiny lime-green before becoming blue and bloomy. These leaves remain on the shrub all year, being pushed off by the new. Evergreen, much-branched, thicket-forming shrub or small tree with a spreading crown.
The name turbinella, meaning like a little top, refers to the acorns. Shrub Live Oak is the characteristic shrub in the chaparral vegetation of Arizona mountain slopes. The foliage is browsed by wildlife and occasionally by livestock.
From the Image Gallery
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Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Shrub
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Flower:
Fruit:
Size Class: 6-12 ft.
Bloom Information
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , MayDistribution
USA: AZ , CA , CO , NM , NV , TX , UTNative Distribution: S.w. CO to s. CA, s. to extreme w. TX & AZ; also Mex.
Native Habitat: Dry slopes; chaparral; pinyon-juniper woods
USDA Native Status: L48(N)
Growing Conditions
Light Requirement: SunSoil Moisture: Dry
Cold Tolerant: yes
Heat Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Dry or moist, sands or clays.
Conditions Comments: Can be thicket-forming. Adaptable. Highly drought-tolerant.
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA
Bibliography
Bibref 766 - Dale Groom's Texas Gardening Guide (2002) Groom, D.Bibref 355 - Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest (1991) Miller, G. O.
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Bibref 297 - Trees of Central Texas (1984) Vines, Robert A.
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Recommended Species Lists
Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.
View Recommended Species pageAdditional resources
USDA: Find Quercus turbinella in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Quercus turbinella in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Quercus turbinella
Metadata
Record Modified: 2009-04-23Research By: TWC Staff
