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Summary

Bloom Color: Yellow. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Rounded, Spreading or horizontal.

Physical Characteristics

Quercus_gambelii is a deciduous Shrub growing to 4.5 m (14ft 9in) at a slow rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen in October. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Wind.
Suitable for: medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Q. utahensis. (ADC.)Rydb.

Plant Habitats

Edible Uses

Seed - raw or cooked[257]. A staple food for several native North American Indian tribes[257]. A sweet taste[61, 62, 63, 85, 161]. The seed is about 2cm long and wide[82, 200], it can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. If the seed contains bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost[85]. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. The traditional method of preparing the seed was to bury it in boggy ground overwinter. The germinating seed was dug up in the spring when it would have lost most of its astringency. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute.

References More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

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Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc[4]. The acorns have been eaten to give greater sexual potency[257]. The root bark is analgesic and cathartic[257]. A decoction has been used to treat postpartum pain and facilitate delivery of the placenta[257].

References More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

A mulch of the leaves repels slugs, grubs etc, though fresh leaves should not be used as these can inhibit plant growth[20]. Oak galls are excrescences that are sometimes produced in great numbers on the tree and are caused by the activity of the larvae of different insects. The insects live inside these galls, obtaining their nutrient therein. When the insect pupates and leaves, the gall can be used as a rich source of tannin, that can also be used as a dyestuff[4]. The seed cups are used as buttons[5]. Wood - hard, heavy, close-grained. The trees are generally too small to be of use commercially, though the wood is used locally for lumber and also makes a good fuel[229].

Special Uses

References More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Landscape Uses:Specimen, Street tree. Prefers a good deep fertile loam which can be on the stiff side[1, 11]. Young plants tolerate reasonable levels of side shade[200]. Tolerates moderate exposure, surviving well but being somewhat stunted[200]. Prefers warmer summers than are usually experienced in Britain, trees often grow poorly in this country and fail to properly ripen their wood resulting in frost damage overwinter[200]. Intolerant of root disturbance, trees should be planted in their permanent positions whilst young[11]. A slow growing shrub that often produces suckers and grows as a thicket[182, 229], it occasionally makes a small tree[229]. Seed production is cyclical, a year when good crops are produced is followed by several years of light production[229]. The tree flowers on new growth produced in spring, the seed ripening in its first year[200, 229]. Hybridizes freely with other members of the genus[200]. This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[88, 200]. Special Features: North American native, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms. The plant is heat tolerant in zones 8 through 1. (Plant Hardiness Zones show how well plants withstand cold winter temperatures. Plant Heat Zones show when plants would start suffering from the heat. The Plant Heat Zone map is based on the number of "heat days" experienced in a given area where the temperature climbs to over 86 degrees F (30°C). At this temperature, many plants begin to suffer physiological damage. Heat Zones range from 1 (no heat days) to 12 (210 or more heat days). For example Heat Zone. 11-1 indicates that the plant is heat tolerant in zones 11 through 1.) For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. A clumping plant, forming a colony from shoots away from the crown but with a limited spread [1-2]. The root pattern is suckering with new plants from underground runners away from the plant [1-2].

References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

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Plant Propagation

Seed - it quickly loses viability if it is allowed to dry out. It can be stored moist and cool overwinter but is best sown as soon as it is ripe in an outdoor seed bed, though it must be protected from mice, squirrels etc. Small quantities of seed can be sown in deep pots in a cold frame. Plants produce a deep taproot and need to be planted out into their permanent positions as soon as possible, in fact seed sown in situ will produce the best trees[11]. Trees should not be left in a nursery bed for more than 2 growing seasons without being moved or they will transplant very badly. Division of suckers in the dormant season[11].

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Range

NORTHERN AMERICA: United States, Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming (south), New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Nevada (south), Utah, Mexico, Chihuahua, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Sonora,

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so itâ€™s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants

Latin Name	Common Name	Habit	Height	Hardiness	Growth	Soil	Shade	Moisture	Edible	Medicinal	Other
Quercus gambelii	Shin Oak, Gambel oak, Rocky Mountain White Oak	Shrub	4.5	4-8	S	MH	SN	DM	3	2	3

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

Quercus_gambelii - Nutt.