Valley Oak

Photo by WeirdNAnnoyed on Wikimedia

​Quercus lobata

The Valley Oak is rather unique in California because it is deciduous. It also has lobe-shaped leaves that are what people traditionally think of as the oak leaf shape. It also gets very large and is quite picturesque.  

Valley Oaks are critical to two ecosystems: the Valley Oak Woodland and the Valley Oak Riparian Woodlands. Few woodlands remain as they have been plowed for agriculture. Riparian woodlands provide habitats for 67 bird species, more than any other California biome. Several threatened species also rely on this habitat, including Swainson’s Hawks, Yellow-Billed Cuckoo, Elderberry Longhorn Beetle, and the elusive Ringtail. These trees also provide homes for many cavity-nesting species and food for deer, rabbits, and rodents, and the large acorns are favorites of squirrels and acorn woodpeckers.

The Valley Oak is found in mostly temperate zones in California as far south as Malibu Creek Park. That is literally as far south as it goes. It shares the park with Coast Live Oaks and Shrub Oaks, so it is an oak-lover's paradise! Unfortunately, the Valley Oaks in the Santa Monica Mountains are not doing well. The USDA is monitoring them to evaluate their health and determine why they are ailing.
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If you encounter a Valley Oak, give its wide trunk a big hug!

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Left Coast Live Oak, Right Valley Oak