Collected Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) growth variations

[BrianBay9]

I've seen an interesting dichotomy in the new growth coming out of my newly collected Q. agrifolia. Some have red buds and new growth, while the typical case is green buds and new growth. All the growth eventually turns green but some trees start out red.








In researching this it seems that in parts of its range, coast live oak hybridizes with California black oak (Q. kelloggii), and in many cases these hybrids have leaf shape like Q agrifolia, but red buds and new growth like Q kelloggii. Not that important, perhaps, but an interesting fact. Oaks (at least California oaks) apparently hybridize all over the place.

 

[oddirt]

I've seen an interesting dichotomy in the new growth coming out of my newly collected Q. agrifolia. Some have red buds and new growth, while the typical case is green buds and new growth. All the growth eventually turns green but some trees start out red.

In researching this it seems that in parts of its range, coast live oak hybridizes with California black oak (Q. kelloggii), and in many cases these hybrids have leaf shape like Q agrifolia, but red buds and new growth like Q kelloggii. Not that important, perhaps, but an interesting fact. Oaks (at least California oaks) apparently hybridize all over the place.

Hi @BrianBay9, the hybird is called Chase Oak (Q x chasei) and occurs up between Monterey and Santa Clara. Here are some nice pics: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/337509-Quercus---chasei. The leaves look more like a cross between the two to me.

Q. agrifolia is known to produce these red leaves as they bud out. It's one of the things I've come to appreciate about them. The first time I noticed them on my bonsai, I looked around the trees on my property and they all seem to have this initial flush of red growth. It's definitely an underrated species. The one by John Naka at the National Bonsai museum is stunning! This photo doesn't do it justice.

 

[misfit11]

Interesting. I knew that oaks were notorious for hybridizing and this often makes IDing them difficult. I guess I never new that live oaks could hybridized with deciduous ones. So if they do, does this mean that the newly created hybrid is always going to be a live oak variety or could they result in creating one that is deciduous?

 

[oddirt]

Interesting. I knew that oaks were notorious for hybridizing and this often makes IDing them difficult. I guess I never new that live oaks could hybridized with deciduous ones. So if they do, does this mean that the newly created hybrid is always going to be a live oak variety or could they result in creating one that is deciduous?

Oaks are really fascinating with all their hybrids and “hybrid storm” strategies of adaptation to changing climates. My understanding is that oaks within the same section can hybridize regardless if they’re evergreen or deciduous. Coast Live Oak and California Black Oak are both in the section Lobatae or Red Oaks (based on the color of their wood) so they can hybridize.

The leaves are considered semi-deciduous. Here’s an example of what that looks like. Not pretty but interesting! http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/2559505

 

[just.wing.it]

Slutty oak trees.....sheesh.

 

[BrianBay9]

Hi @BrianBay9, the hybird is called Chase Oak (Q x chasei) and occurs up between Monterey and Santa Clara. Here are some nice pics: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/337509-Quercus---chasei. The leaves look more like a cross between the two to me.

Q. agrifolia is known to produce these red leaves as they bud out. It's one of the things I've come to appreciate about them. The first time I noticed them on my bonsai, I looked around the trees on my property and they all seem to have this initial flush of red growth. It's definitely an underrated species. The one by John Naka at the National Bonsai museum is stunning! This photo doesn't do it justice.

Now that you mention it, the red bud versions do have leaves that could be a cross between the two. You may have all hybrids. I have two distinct forms. And the green bud versions have smaller, more typical agrifolia leaves. Going forward I think I can discriminate between the two before I collect.

There's a great Q agrifolia at the GSBF Lake Merritt bonsai garden too.