| The Black Oak is more commonly known as the | | | | flowers and catkins develop and emerge before or |
| California Black Oak, and is sometimes referred to as | | | | almost at the same time as the leaves, during April or |
| Kellogg Oak. This oak belongs to the red oak family | | | | May. The fruit is in the form of an acorn and occurs |
| and is originally from western North America. It is | | | | either alone or in clusters ranging from two to five. It |
| closely related to the same species found in eastern | | | | matures in two years. The acorns are brown when |
| and central North America. | | | | they are mature and tend to become ripe during |
| This tree is deciduous and generally grows to be | | | | August or late October depending on where the tree |
| anywhere from 9 to 25 meters in height, with a | | | | is located. |
| diameter of around 1.4 meters. Larger trees can | | | | Ecology |
| actually be 36 meters tall and 1.6 meters in diameter. | | | | The black oak is extremely critical to many forms of |
| If the plant grows on a poor site, it will form a scrub | | | | wildlife. In Californian rangelands and forests, oaks are |
| instead. | | | | the most important food source for wildlife, while |
| Black Oaks that grow in open areas have a broad, | | | | also providing shelter. These trees occupy more of |
| rounded crown, and its lower branches will droop low | | | | the total area in California than all other species of |
| enough to touch the ground or form a browse line. If | | | | hardwood. Livestock, too, make use of the black oak |
| they grow in closed stands, the crown will be slender | | | | for their food and cover during the hot summer |
| and narrow while the trees are young and then be | | | | months. |
| somewhat irregularly broad once they grow old. | | | | The Black-tailed Deer and Western Gray Squirrel get |
| Appearance | | | | almost fifty percent of their winter and fall diets |
| The trunks of the black oak are usually forked and in | | | | from the acorns of these black oak trees. These |
| older trees they tend to decay and be hollow. | | | | acorns are so important that depending on the size |
| Younger trees have very thin, smooth barks that | | | | of the crop, fawn survival rates can increase or |
| grow to be moderately thick, platy and deeply | | | | decrease. |
| fissured with age. | | | | Uses |
| This oak can grow one or more vertical roots which | | | | The acorns given by this oak is preferred over those |
| penetrate through bedrock using the laterally | | | | of other species when it comes to making acorn |
| spreading roots that appear from vertical ones. There | | | | meal. The wood from this oak is used to make |
| are also plenty of surface roots. | | | | furniture, pallets, cupboards, and high grade lumber |
| The acorns that come from these trees are quite | | | | and industrial timbers. It can also be used as fuel |
| large for the species. The leaves are quite deeply | | | | wood. This species of black oak makes up twenty |
| lobed. These trees can live to be at least five | | | | nine percent of California's hardwood timber sources, |
| hundred years old. | | | | and most of the lumber there is sawn from this |
| Flowering and Fruiting | | | | hardwood. |
| This species of oak is monoecious, so that the | | | | |