California Live Oak (Coastal)

PatArizona

Let's start a Coastal Live Oak thread...

Joanie...to be sure, from coast to coast there a number of different Live Oaks...and, I'm sure the one you are interested in is the Coastal Live Oak, Quercus agrifolia, aka, California Live Oak...

JohnThompson, of San Jose, in my opinion, is Mr. Coastal Live Oak...Robert can probably help you get in touch with him.


I have a CLO from a John Thompson Workshop at ABS'99 in Tucson. It has been doing better than just surviving here in the Southern Arizona desert... sometimes hot and dry...sometimes hot and humid...lot of strong winds...some below freezing temps.


This Oak has moved from California to Tucson (2500') to Catalina AZ (3000') to it's present home in Oracle AZ at 4550'...the upper edge of the Arizona High Desert.


I'm guessing, but it would likely be happier in your area.


Let's see what this thread brings...maybe we both can learn more about the California Live Oak.


Have a good day.


Pat

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Joanie

Pat, may good luck rain down on you today!!! Thank you for this thread!

I have one Cork Bark (Quercus suber), and one with an interesting, sort of spiny trunk (must take a picture for you all), and several with smooth trunks and rounder leaves that are probably Coast Live Oak.

What seems rather interesting is that they seem to grow in spurts, that is, each tree will put out new growth which seems to quickly grow and harden off, and then it pauses... for weeks perhaps.... then every branch has new reddish growth again. Each tree has it's own schedule. They seem to be slow growers because of these pauses, but really the Cork Oak more than doubled in size this year... it grew over a foot!

So questions would include when to root prune, whether methods like defoliation work (I suspect not), if there is any particular hints or tips for growing Quercus in our hot dry climate..... just come on and tell us everything you know and love (or hate) about these trees!!!

Joanie

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BrianBay9

I have a few Q. agrifolia (Calif coastal live oak), and agree, Joanie, that they do show spurts of growth. Mine seem to put out growth in the spring, and the fall, primarily. The collected trees seem to have take a couple of years to get comfortable with pot culture, then put out huge amounts of new growth - again in spring and fall. Collected trees have done well, even with few feeder roots.

I have done both fall and early spring repotting with success, although around here the difference between the two is not huge. I do fall repotting around Thanksgiving, and spring repotting in early February. In my climate, for most of my trees, it seems that I can start repotting in Nov, and continue on through March without stop. I do save most of my major root pruning for later in that time period.

Standard pinching techniques seem to increase ramification OK. I have also defoliated healthy Q. agrifolia prior to their spring or fall growth spurts (not both on the same tree). The defoliation gets rid of malformed and discolored leaves (always an issue with these), but doesn't seem to reduce leaf size much. I think it helps with ramification, but apparently the efffect is not dramatic, since I still only THINK it helps.

I'm sure others with more experience can add to this thread.

Cheers
Brian

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Joanie

Thank you, Brian! That's a lot of good information! Now, see, I find that mine do growth spurts every month or couple of months...at least four since early spring. Isn't that strange? Or is it a flawed observation? The tree will be tipped with new growth all over, then the growth hardens and greens up, then waits several weeks or a month, then all new growth again. Hmmmm.

How much do you feel safe trimming off of a immature but well growing root base?

Joanie

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"You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says,
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BrianBay9

My collected agrifolia had almost nothing left in the way or roots. They made it, but they took a couple of years to recover. Since then I've reduced the rootball by about half at each repotting.

Brian

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There's a difference between taking your art seriously, and taking yourself too seriously.

Joanie

Here is a photo comparison of some of the bark and leaves.

The bark is from a tree I bought from House of Bonsai in the LA area. It was by itself, unlabelled, the only one there. It has a reddish spiny bark, and slightly smaller, darker leaves.

Photo two shows the leaf comparison... all of these are the largest and most mature leaves on each tree.

(left to right)

small collected Coast Live Oak; unknown but very straight flat leaved oak with grey/white bark; red barked more crinkly darker green oak; light barked collected oak with fewer points on leaves; very flat lighter green more points light barked oak

Attached Images

	oakbark.jpg (43.4 KB, 37 views)
	oakleaves.jpg (12.4 KB, 27 views)

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"You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says,
'Wow, you're right! I never would've thought of that!'" ~ Dave Barry

BrianBay9

I'm no expert, but the trunk you show is almost certainly not Q agrifolia. Maybe its Q suber. The leaves on the left could be agrifolia, but the two on the right look like Q. chryselopsis (Canyon live oak), or maybe Q wislizenii (Interior live oak).

Here's a good site on California oaks. Much of the cultivation info refers to oaks in landscape planting, however.

http://www.laspilitas.com/groups/oa...ornia_oak1.html

Brian

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There's a difference between taking your art seriously, and taking yourself too seriously.

Joanie

This page did it for me.... (scroll to the bottom for the "chart")... my brain hurts now and I think I'll go have a little lie-down....



http://www.laspilitas.com/groups/oa...ornia_oak4.html

Thank you Brian! Great site! You're da bomb! And you're right, the two on the right seem to be Canyon Live Oaks from the descriptions...

Joanie

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"You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says,
'Wow, you're right! I never would've thought of that!'" ~ Dave Barry

CScott

This photo was taken Spring 2004 just before it was transplanted into the ground. It seemed to be losing vigor. I have noticed with almost all oak varieties a total aversion to overwatering. Another problem I have noticed is a bulb look to the lowest part of the trunk. My friends CLO has the same look. Will time take care of this if it is in the ground?

Attached Images

CLO 2004.jpg (70.7 KB, 89 views)