All these acorns were found on Bow Beach on the Rogue River one September.
Clockwise from the top: Brewer’s Oak, Querqus garryana var breweri is a deciduous shrub growing to about 15′ in height. It is a close relative, to Oregon oak. Acorns can be ¾ to 1” long, with a shallow cup maturing the first autumn.
California Black Oak, Quercus kelloggii grows from 30 to 80 feet tall but can grow in shrubby scrub-oak form on poor sites. The acorns are 1 to 2 ½” long, reddish brown with a deep cap covering about half the nut and requiring 2 seasons to mature. California black oak can live up to 500 years of age.
Huckleberry Oak, Quercus vacciniifolia is a shrubby evergreen, which generally grows less than 5’ tall and spreads horizontally, never becoming a tree. Acorns are small, about ½” and mature in 2 years.
Canyon Live Oak, Quercus chrysolepis, is a species of evergreen oak that is found in the western United States. It can grow up to a 100’ tall and is often found in a shrubby growth form. The leathery leaves are a glossy dark green above, with a dull golden down underneath and are 1 to 3” in length. Acorns occur solitarily or in pairs, and are 1 to 2” long, with a shallow, thick cup of scales covered with yellowish hairs.
