David L. Morgan
Family
Fagaceae
Botanical Name
Quercus fusiformis
Plant Common Name
Escarpment Live Oak, Plateau Oak, Texas Live Oak
General Description
A smaller, more cold hardy relative of live oak (Quercus virginiana), this semi-evergreen, often multi-trunked tree or large shrub is native to Oklahoma, Texas, and northern Mexico. Handsome glossy oval leaves clothe its branches from spring until late winter. In early spring conspicuous green flower catkins emerge, providing color between the shedding of the old leaves and the development of the new. Brown acorns follow the flowers. The bark is dark and scaly. This tree often forms thickets by sprouting from the roots. It is in the white oak group (section Quercus), so its leaf tips are rounded rather than pointed and its acorns have knobby rather than imbricate caps.
This oak likes sun and well-drained, slightly acid to alkaline soil. It does well in hot, harsh climates such as the low deserts of the Southwest United States. Use it as a street or shade tree or in naturalistic plantings. It is fully deciduous in the colder parts of its hardiness range.
Growing Conditions
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Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
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Soil Drainage
Well Drained
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Soil type
Loam, Sand
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Tolerances
Drought
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Growth Rate
Medium
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Water Requirements
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
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Habit
Upright/Erect
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Seasonal Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Showy
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Flower Color
Green
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Fruit Color
Brown
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Green
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Foliage Color (Summer)
Green
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Foliage Color (Fall)
Green
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Foliage Color (Winter)
Green
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Bark Color
Brown, Black
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Fragrant Flowers
No
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Fragrant Fruit
No
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Fragrant Foliage
No
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Flower Petal Number
Single
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Repeat Bloomer
No
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Showy Fruit
No
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Edible Fruit
No
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Showy Foliage
No
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Foliage Texture
Medium
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Foliage Sheen
Glossy
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Evergreen
Semi-Evergreen
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Showy Bark
No
