Turbinella Oak, Desert Scrub Oak, Shrub Live Oak

This evergreen oak is native to the state I live (Utah) and the biggest known specimen is actually in Southern Utah, in Washington county...Read More. It’s a very large beautiful tree, and i’ve been there a few times to go see it. Definitely a very beautiful and cold hardy evergreen. It has hybridized with the gambel oaks up here in Salt Lake City, and produced an evergreen hybrid in the wild.The range of Quercus turbinella used to range up to Salt Lake before the ice age but got pushed a little further south once it hit. It is pretty rare though and there is only a few populations that where just found recently. Pretty awesome to think some survived up here by hybridization with the hardier oaks but stayed evergreen.

Just come back form a trip to the South of France (Aude) and I was interested to see lots of thes growing like very low spiny bushes on a...Read More 'garrigue' near the coast at Sémaphore Lighthouse (Phare) near Leucate.
Strange to see acorns so large in realtion to a very small bush. They must be good for xeriscaping as the area gets next to no rain in the summer.

This little tree has done well for me here in middle TN. Planted about 16 years ago. For a while I had a clump of ornamental grass next ...Read Moreto it and let it get a little lopsided. I could kick myself. But I took care of that. I love it.

Grows wild everywhere here in northern Arizona and forms very large chaparral plant communities at lower elevations, and intermixes into ...Read Morewoodlands with Pinyon Pine and Alligator juniper at higher elevations. Most urban areas have them trimmed into hedges, and some people keep them properly trimmed until they reach a traditional "tree" form. They're extremely drought resistant and hold their leaves until the end of winter until they drop them and quickly sprout new ones, but they do require trimming and upkeep if you want them to attain a certain height or stay in order.