Blue oak

Blue oak Quercus douglasii

Description

Blue oak Quercus douglasii

A large, deciduous Oak tree, Quercus douglasii, native to southern California. Blue oak produces a strong, durable wood used in furniture, millwork, and flooring.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Quercus douglasii; mountain white oak

Physical and Chemical Properties

Medium trees growing 15-20 m. Bark=rough with deep vertical furrows. Leaves=shiny blue-green with irregular lobes. Fruit=tapering acorns with shallow caps maturing in late summer every year.

Resources and Citations

• Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996

• Virginia Tech Dendrology website at www.fw.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/main.htm (accessed Oct. 8, 2005)

• Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_oak (Accessed Oct. 8, 2005)

• Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, Douglas M. Considine (ed.), Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1976