California Canyon Live OakQuercus chrysolepisHeight: 55' average mature height Zones: 5-8 Find my zone Aspect: partial shade to full sun Watering: needs occasional summer irrigation, about one deep watering cycle per month once established Maximum Water: tolerates occasional winter flooding but needs drier soil in the summer Habit: single stem or trunk Foliage: evergreen Growth Rate: medium Native To: AZ, CA, NM, NV, OR
This plant can't be shipped to California
Size Availability
quart - $10.00 each
Bulk Pricing: $8.50 each for 5 or more - 15% off Bulk Pricing: $6.50 each for 100 or more - 35% off
Ships free with orders of $75!*Packed with a bagged root ball.
seed packet - lot of 20 acorns - estimated 85% germination cut test - $10.00 each
Bulk Pricing: $7.50 each for 5 or more - 25% off
Ships free with orders of $75!*Packed with a bagged root ball.
Production notes: in production most years but is unavailable in some due to limited seed/division material or finicky propagation
An evergreen Oak native throughout California and into Oregon, the Canyon Live Oak is the hardiest of the Western Live Oak species and is by far one of the best Oaks for bonsai. The leaves are small - usually about an inch long and half an inch wide - and the branches are short and dense. The leaves on seedlings are shaped more like a tiny Holly leaf with slight serrations which reduces browsing by deer. As the trees mature the leaves loose the serrations and develop the rounded form.
Canyon Live Oak trees are very heat and drought tolerant and grow at a medium rate into a large multi-trunk form. They do best in well drained soil without too much summer irrigation, in very deep rocky soils they don't need summer irrigation through most of their range but in a lot of shallower clay soils they need some irrigation occasionally through the summer in very dry climates. The trees are more shade tolerant than most oaks and can survive under a dense canopy, although the growth rate is much faster on a sunny site.
When grown in a sunny location these tend to develop a shorter shrubby form for the first few years with the longest branches growing out horizontally. After they get a strong root system established they then send up one or several upright trunks which grow in a tree form. More than likely this is to protect the tree from heavy browsing as the shrubby form prevents deer from browsing the plant down heavily in hard years and gives the plant the ability to rapidly grow upright above the browsing height when established. In partial shade they are more likely to develop a single trunk, while in full sun often they will grow up to three to five trunks - extra trunks can be pruned out if a single trunk tree is desired but these tend to look a lot more interesting in a multi-stemmed form.
Canyon Live Oaks are tolerant of both limestone and serpentine soils which is unusual as they are almost opposite soil types, typically plants will be adapted to one but not the other.
The tiny evergreen leaves are smaller than the acorns
Image Source: Commons
An acorn just starting to form in early summer
Image Source: Commons
The juvenile foliage slightly resembles a holly leaf
Image Source: Commons
As trees age the new leaves become more rounded and the serrations start to dissapear
Image Source: Commons
A multi-trunk Live Oak growing in the desert as a medium sized shrub
Image Source: Commons
Quercus chrysolepis - California Canyon Live Oak growing in a dense woodland
Quercus chrysolepis - California Canyon Live Oak trees growing on a steep, rocky slope
Quercus chrysolepis - California Canyon Live Oak acorns ripening
An ancient Live Oak that has been repeatedly burned
Quercus chrysolepis - California Canyon Live Oak
Quercus chrysolepis - California Canyon Live Oak - The mature foliage loses the serrations that are present on the juvenile foliage
Quercus chrysolepis - California Canyon Live Oak - planting acorns in air pruning containers
Quercus chrysolepis - California Canyon Live Oak
Packing Plants For ShippingWe pack our plants depending on the needs of each species and size, most plants ship best with the roots packed in moist sawdust or bark fines but some species don't like root disturbance and are shipped in a soil-less growing media. Excess soil is washed from the roots in preparation for shipping (18-24" White Pines)  Plants are bundled together to fit in boxes  Bundles of plants are secured in long boxes. Plant Sizes 3 gallon Dawn Redwood  Standard quart shrub  Standard 14-18" multi-stem tree size  Standard deep plug pine tree Bamboo Plants Are Shipped In Their ContainersBamboo roots are not flexible and so plants have to be shipped in their containers. These plants are heavier and are shipped separately from bare root plants. Because they are potted they can handle longer transit times so can ship via UPS Ground instead of USPS Air Mail. Potted plants can also be shipped year-round.We regularly top our 1 gallon bamboo plants at 24-30 inches tall throughout the growing season. This results in dense, bushy foliage while allowing for economical shipping. From this size most running species will grow to 5-6 feet tall in the first spring and clumping species will usually grow to 4-5 feet tall.  1 gallon bamboo plants strapped in and ready to be sealed. Unpacking Bare Root PlantsYou will be sent tracking details as soon as your plants are shipped. Unpack your plants as quickly as possible after they are delivered. We use two types of boxes, side-sealing and top-sealing. For boxes that are taped along the whole length you can cut the tape on either side and remove the plant bundles by cutting the tape holding the bundle to the bottom. For boxes that are sealed on the top and bottom, it is easiet to open the bottom of the box (the shipping label is at the top) and pull the bundle of plants out straight out. Check that the box is empty as there can be a second bundle of plants stuck towards the top. A bundle of trees. What if I am not able to plant right away?You can usually leave the plants in their shipping container unopened for 1-2 days if there were no shipping delays and you have received your plants from late November through February. Plants shipped when it is warmer can't stay in their packages for as long.For longer term storage of plants you can pot them up or plant them in rows close together temporarily and then pull them out later in the spring to be planted again. This keeps the roots moist while allowing for air flow to the tops. The roots should have good contact with the soil to ensure they have access to adequate moisture. |
Size Availability
quart - $10.00 each
Bulk Pricing: $8.50 each for 5 or more - 15% off Bulk Pricing: $6.50 each for 100 or more - 35% off
Ships free with orders of $75!*Packed with a bagged root ball.
seed packet - lot of 20 acorns - estimated 85% germination cut test - $10.00 each
Bulk Pricing: $7.50 each for 5 or more - 25% off
Ships free with orders of $75!*Packed with a bagged root ball.
Production notes: in production most years but is unavailable in some due to limited seed/division material or finicky propagation
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Red Panda Nursery