Engelmann oak

It is a small tree growing to 10 m tall, generally evergreen, but may be drought-deciduous during the hot, dry local summers, and has a rounded or elliptical canopy. The bark is thick, furrowed, and light gray-brown. The leaves are leathery, 3-6 cm long and 1-2 cm broad, of a blue-green color, and may be flat or wavy, with smooth margins. The flowers are catkins; the fruit is an acorn 1.5-2.5 cm long, maturing 6–8 months after pollination.

A separate species, Engelmann Oaks only exist in a narrow band that stretches along the foothills of Southern California from Pasadena down through Orange and San Diego County into Baja California. They need to be twenty miles or more away from the ocean at an elevation of 500-4000 feet. In Southern California these spectacular trees have had a hard time because the mesas on which they are usually found are also ideal sites for homes. More

The Engelmann Oak is considered to be the northernmost species of subtropical oak, which was later isolated from its closest relatives to the east by the drying of the southwestern deserts. The wood is dark brown and strong, but tends to warp and split upon drying, and is of low value as timber. More