Plant
Valley Oak
Quercus lobataAlso known as Roble, California White Oak
Valley oaks dominate California interior valleys with sprawling branch canopies and thick, checkered bark resembling alligator skin. Deep taproots reach permanent water tables, enabling these giant trees to survive intense summer droughts and live for up to six centuries. Dense clusters of deeply lobed leaves provide vital shade and habitat for hundreds of native insect and bird species.
EndemicDeciduousTree
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Near ThreatenedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNear ThreatenedRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyAutotrophic
Predators
- Acorn woodpeckers
- California scrub-jays
- California ground squirrels
ThreatsGroundwater depletion, land conversion, and poor seedling recruitment
HabitatsInterior valleys, floodplains, and foothill savannas
Life spanUp to 600 years
Classification
- OrderFagales
- FamilyFagaceae
- GenusQuercus
- SpeciesQuercus lobata
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is high
- Safe to observe from a normal distance.
- What to notice
- Look for deeply lobed leaves, checkered grey bark, and iconic sprawling canopies in valley bottoms.
- Support conservation
- Keep clear of root zones to avoid soil compaction and never carve into bark.
Responsible observation
- Bark Identification: Look for deeply checkered grey bark forming rectangular blocks on mature trunks.
- Root Protection: Avoid trampling or compacting the soil within the wide drip line of older trees.
- Seasonal Watching: Inspect branches in autumn for long, pointed acorns maturing in a single season.
Seed Disperser (c) Dawn Beattie, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Frequent Companion (c) Dmitry Mozzherin, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Gall Maker (c) Franco Folini, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Franco Folini, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Close Relative Yath at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
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Ecosystem chain
The Forest Floor
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