Small Canyon Live Oak (Quercus chrysolepis)

[Hartinez]

I picked up this little oak from a Lowe’s (yes at almost 10 years in I still walk the big box aisles). Loved the leaf size and went for it. Cut back hard and reduced the root ball. Quite the response in leaf growth. It’s labeled at zone 7, but I’m skeptical it can get as cold as 7 gets.

Thought I’d ask @rockm or @Bonsai Nut if you had thoughts on winter care? Unheated garage? Mulched in on the ground?

Also, it appears to be grafted. , at least it certainly appears that way. If it was, I can’t help but be surprised that an oak would be grafted on to different root stock. Seems counterintuitive since I though most oaks were slow growing, and grafting, at least I thought, was done to push more growth on a more vigorous root stock.

here’s the tree, which aside from that line on the trunk and bark is shaping up awfully nice.

after cutback


Now

 

[rockm]

It's a Canyon Live oak, native to mostly California with local populations into Arizona. I hesitate to give any advice on west coast oaks, since I'm not working with them, concentrating on Southern species of live oak. I'd work to keep it a bit frost free in the winter, although it can probably take some winter weather.

Could be grafted, which means the roots may not be the same species as the top, which changes things a bit...speculating that it might have been grafted onto colder hardy root stock, but who knows...Err on the side of caution--a bit of a mulch covering outside in the winter in a well drained location would be my advice, but wouldn't swear by it...

Any Cali residents know more?

 

[Hartinez]

It's a Canyon Live oak, native to mostly California with local populations into Arizona. I hesitate to give any advice on west coast oaks, since I'm not working with them, concentrating on Southern species of live oak. I'd work to keep it a bit frost free in the winter, although it can probably take some winter weather.

Could be grafted, which means the roots may not be the same species as the top, which changes things a bit...speculating that it might have been grafted onto colder hardy root stock, but who knows...Err on the side of caution--a bit of a mulch covering outside in the winter in a well drained location would be my advice, but wouldn't swear by it...

Any Cali residents know more?

Thanks Rock. I think I had inquired on another Cali oak species sometime back and I had forgot that west coast oaks are not your forte. Hoping Greg will chime in. Thanks for the reply regardless!

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Hey, I love to be the bearer of good news. I'm pretty sure that's not a graft. Canyon and Coast Live Oaks have two types of bark (call it immature and mature) and there is often an abrupt dividing line between them. Here is a Coast Live Oak that I have, and you can see a pretty dramatic line (and it is definitely not a grafted tree). I took this photo of the back of the tree because the mature bark goes farther up the front of the tree. Give it time and allow it to bulk up and the bark should mature. (You can see how it is starting to cork up under the branch just above the dividing line).

As far as winter care goes, they are supposed to be cold hardy to Zone 7. I have left this tree out unprotected through two NC winters (and we are in Zone 7B/8A) and we had a couple of big snows this year (one with 6" of accumulation) and this tree didn't miss a beat. I treat it like a Mediterranean species (think cork oak or olive) and treat it similarly. All my olives stay outside, as do my cork oaks, and if anything they seem to enjoy the onset of cold temps.

In general you have to watch these trees because they are extremely apically dominant. The key to managing growth and maintaining foliage density is to pinch all new growth as soon as it extends past the first two leaves. They also handle complete defoliation very well... as long as they are strong. The tree in this photo is a little leggy, but I just replanted it this spring and I am waiting for it to show strong growth before I defoliate.

I defoliate my broadleaf evergreens right before the heat of the summer and have had good results.

 

[Hartinez]

Hey, I love to be the bearer of good news. I'm pretty sure that's not a graft. Canyon and Coast Live Oaks have two types of bark (call it immature and mature) and there is often an abrupt dividing line between them. Here is a Coast Live Oak that I have, and you can see a pretty dramatic line (and it is definitely not a grafted tree). I took this photo of the back of the tree because the mature bark goes farther up the front of the tree. Give it time and allow it to bulk up and the bark should mature. (You can see how it is starting to cork up under the branch just above the dividing line).

As far as winter care goes, they are supposed to be cold hardy to Zone 7. I have left this tree out unprotected through two NC winters (and we are in Zone 7B/8A) and we had a couple of big snows this year (one with 6" of accumulation) and this tree didn't miss a beat. I treat it like a Mediterranean species (think cork oak or olive) and treat it similarly. All my olives stay outside, as do my cork oaks, and if anything they seem to enjoy the onset of cold temps.

In general you have to watch these trees because they are extremely apically dominant. The key to managing growth and maintaining foliage density is to pinch all new growth as soon as it extends past the first two leaves. They also handle complete defoliation very well... as long as they are strong. The tree in this photo is a little leggy, but I just replanted it this spring and I am waiting for it to show strong growth before I defoliate.

I defoliate my broadleaf evergreens right before the heat of the summer and have had good results.


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Excellent info Greg thank you. I was very pleased with the response of this tree and the amount of adventitous budding I got. I’ll probably start managing growth a fair bit more next year as I’m just trying to let the tree fully recover from the heavy work.

 

[VAFisher]

Cool tree and good news that it's probably not grafted. The leaves remind me of our native holly here in central VA. Are they stabby like holly leaves?

 

[Hartinez]

Cool tree and good news that it's probably not grafted. The leaves remind me of our native holly here in central VA. Are they stabby like holly leaves?

Thrilled to know it’s not grafted. Yeah they are very ridged and def look just like holly I’ve seen. They appear a much lighter green though than the holly I’ve seen. These also remind of quercus turbinela that grows native here in NM. An oak I have had zero success collecting.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Excellent info Greg thank you. I was very pleased with the response of this tree and the amount of adventitous budding I got. I’ll probably start managing growth a fair bit more next year as I’m just trying to let the tree fully recover from the heavy work.

They will backbud everywhere if strong and if you cut them back hard in the early summer. They seem to really grow strongest right before the heat of the summer... then they pause for about three months... and then you will get a second (weaker) push of growth in the early fall. Timing is critical. They are strongest right before hot weather... much later than you would normally want to defoliate a deciduous tree.

 

[Hartinez]

They will backbud everywhere if strong and if you cut them back hard in the early summer. They seem to really grow strongest right before the heat of the summer... then they pause for about three months... and then you will get a second (weaker) push of growth in the early fall. Timing is critical. They are strongest right before hot weather... much later than you would normally want to defoliate a deciduous tree.

Def my results. I bought 2 of these. The second almost 3 weeks later and treated the same way. It has yet to push buds but def hasn’t died. I was probably a touch late to be so aggressive.