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Quercus gambelii

Gambel oak

Fagaceae

Southwestern United States and Rocky Mountains

Drought Tolerant

Native to North America

SunFull Sun

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 4–8

Overview

Quercus gambelii is a deciduous oak that grows as a multi-stemmed shrub or small tree, ranging from 10 to 30 feet (3 to 9 m) tall and often forming clonal thickets connected by underground rhizomes. In exposed or dry sites it stays shrub-sized at 6-15 feet (1.8-4.6 m), while sheltered canyon bottoms allow single-trunked trees toward the upper end of the range. The deeply lobed leaves are 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) long, dark green and leathery above with paler undersides, turning yellow to russet-brown before dropping in fall. Yellow-green male catkins appear with the new leaves in April and May, and acorns 0.5-0.8 inch (1.3-2 cm) long ripen in a single season, maturing in late summer. The species is wind-pollinated and sets acorn crops that vary sharply from year to year. Bark is gray and rough, becoming furrowed with age. It is native to the Rocky Mountains and Colorado Plateau, where it tolerates drought, cold, and poor rocky soils once established. The thicket-forming habit spreads by root sprouts and can colonize disturbed slopes, which limits its use in small or formal plantings. Acorns and foliage contain tannins that can sicken grazing pets and livestock.

Native Range

Native to the southwestern United States and the Rocky Mountains, from Colorado, Utah, and Nevada south through Arizona and New Mexico into northern Mexico. It is common on foothills, canyon slopes, and plateaus between 4,000 and 9,000 feet (1,200-2,700 m).

Suggested Uses

Used in naturalized and native landscapes, erosion control on dry slopes, and wildlife plantings across the interior West. The thicket habit suits large informal screens and windbreaks rather than small gardens. Acorns and cover support deer, wild turkey, and various mammals and birds.

How to Identify

Identified by deeply lobed, dark green leaves 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) long with rounded lobes and paler, slightly hairy undersides. It commonly grows as a thicket of multiple gray-barked stems rather than a single trunk. Acorns are 0.5-0.8 inch (1.3-2 cm) long with a bowl-shaped cap covering about one-third of the nut, separating it from the longer acorns of other western oaks.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height10' - 30'

Width/Spread10' - 25'

Reaches mature size in approximately 20 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~2 weeks

Spring

Yellow-green catkins emerge alongside the unfolding leaves in April and May. The flowers are wind-pollinated and inconspicuous. Acorns develop over a single summer and ripen from August to October, with heavy crops occurring only every few years.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

dark green, turning yellow to russet-brown in fall

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 8.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam sand rocky clay

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

slow; 20+ years to mature size

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun on well-drained loam, rocky, or sandy soils and tolerates alkaline ground up to about pH 8.0. Established plants need little water and withstand prolonged drought, though young plants respond to occasional deep watering in their first two seasons. It is hardy to USDA zone 4 and handles cold mountain winters. Root sprouts extend the colony outward, producing periodic suckers that widen the stand over time. Poorly drained or consistently wet soils cause root problems. It moves poorly once the deep taproot forms, so younger container stock establishes more readily.

Pruning

Pruning is done in late winter while dormant, removing dead or crossing stems and limiting thicket spread. Suckers arising from the roots can be cut back to keep a single-trunk form. Pruning in spring and summer raises exposure to oak wilt and borers in regions where those occur.