Description

Interior live oak is arguably our most widespread and adaptable oak species. It grows throughout the lower elevations of all California’s major mountain ranges. It thrives in the Cascades and at the edges of both the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. It grows well in the San Joaquin Valley, the Channel Islands and at the immediate Pacific Coast. Over many years, this slow-growing oak develops a dense rounded canopy, wider than it is tall. Interior live oak accepts a variety of soil types and is extremely drought tolerant. Among its many advantages, this species is not vulnerable to Sudden Oak Death. This would seem to make it a better choice for coastal counties.