Native Habitat:
Open woodlands, savannas, and well-drained slopes.
 
Bloom Time:
April – May (catkins)
 
Growth Habit & Mature Size:
Deciduous tree, 40–100 feet tall, with broad, spreading canopy and deeply lobed leaves. Produces acorns in the fall that mature within the same year.
 
Light & Soil Requirements:
Full sun; thrives in well-drained loam, sandy, or gravelly soils. Tolerates drought once established and is adapted to seasonal moisture variability.
 
Willamette Valley Native Companion Plants:
Festuca idahoensis, Camassia quamash, Achillea millefolium, Eriophyllum lanatum, Sidalcea campestris.
 
Urban Garden Function:
Provides long-lived structure, shade, and seasonal interest to urban parks, naturalized landscapes, and large gardens. Works well as a specimen tree, in savanna-style plantings, and for layered native plant communities.
 
Wildlife Supported:
Acorns provide food for birds, deer, small mammals, and insects. Canopy and branches offer nesting sites and shelter for birds, insects, and other wildlife.
 
Historical Use:
Acorns were used by Indigenous peoples for food; wood was used for tools and construction. Valued ornamentally for shade, habitat support, and its ecological role in savanna and woodland restoration.