Native Plants
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Quercus turbinella
Quercus turbinella Greene
Shrub Live Oak, Sonoran Scrub Oak, Scrub Oak, Turbinella Oak, Turbinella, Encino
Fagaceae (Beech Family)
Synonym(s): Quercus dumosa var. turbinella
USDA Symbol: QUTU2
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
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.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: White , BrownBloom Time: Mar , Apr , May
Distribution
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
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 on display at the following locations:Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA
Bibliography
Bibref 766 - Dale Groom's Texas Gardening Guide (2002) Groom, D.Bibref 298 - Field Guide to Texas Trees (1999) Simpson, B.J.
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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Additional 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: 2019-06-20Research By: TWC Staff