Oracle Oak

I have just ID'd this tree with help from Bonnie at Inermountain nursery. She says:

"You must have found that tree in Nort...Read Moreh Fork(CA) which is one of the local areas where there are lots of them. It is a cross between the Black Oak, Quercus kelloggii, and the Live Oak, Quercus wislizenii. They call it the Oracle Oak, or Quercus morehus. It ony occurs in areas where there are lots of one of the parent species and not many of the other parent and between Oak 'sub-tribes' that are related to each other. The leaf looks like a cross between the big lobed Black Oak leaf and the small, sometimes serrated Live Oak leaf. It is an interesting occurence and they are beautiful trees."

It is a smaller deciduous oak, well rounded top growth and is beautiful gold in the Fall here on our place in North Fork, CA.

I have posted two photos of the Oracle oak to show the two forms of the hybrid between California Black oak (Quercus kellogii) and interi...Read Moreor Live oak (Q. wislizenii). The form of the hybrid depends on which parent tree donated the pollen. In the first photo, the leaves are softer and a lighter green, taking after the Kellog (black) oak, and the second photo shows the form in which the leaves are a tougher, leathery, and darker green, taking after the Interior Live oak. The bark is pretty much the same on both variations, and the leaves remain on the tree through the winter on both forms. I have now found these two variations growing side by side in two different locations in Shasta County, whereas previously I had found them of one form in a certain area, and the other form in another area.
treeguy57

Naturally occuring hybrid of Q. kelloggii and Q. wislizenii.