Can someone tell me what kind of tree this is?

[MTCInc]

This is at a school in Los Altos, CA. It has been treated pretty poorly over the years. I cannot figure out what it is, first time I have ever come across one of these

I will post a leaf picture next:

 

[MTCInc]

This is a close up of the leaves. Kind of Oakish..

 

[MTCInc]

I think I can dig up a few other shots if these are not showing enough.

 

[easyphloem]

From a distance (hee hee), it looks like Quercus virginiana.


The leaves look like maybe a Ficus......



SZ

 

[trees4ever]

MTCInc.- looks like canyon live oak (Quercus chrysolepis) with possibly some hybridizing.
Canyon live oaks cross with the shrub-like huckleberry oak (Q. vacciniifolia)which often gives the smaller leaves.
Canyon live oaks can have both smooth and spined margins on their leaves.
So when you're up in the tree you may see several different leaf shapes and types.

It can make a nightmare for ID sometimes but oaks are a trip because of all the hybridizing they do.
Of course this trait is, also, what has (and will) keep this genus around for centuries to come.

Here's the huckleberry oak:
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_qu...+0000+0603+0611

Here's the canyon live oak (noticed how varied the leaf forms are with these two links below):
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=&enlarge=0000+0000+0908+0101

and:
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=&enlarge=0000+0000+0506+3260


I tried to get the whole link with all the photos of the canyon oak so you can see the various leaf shapes but it wouldn't link-over - so see if the main page works:
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/


-Diane-

 

[tomthetreeman]

Nice work Diane! Thanks for the good info!

-Tom

 

[trees4ever]

Hi Tom-
No problem.
It's what the Buzz is all about.

-Diane-

 

[MTCInc]

Hi Diane,

Thanks for the info, I have never seen that site before!

I am pretty sure this is not a canyon, I am pretty familiar with those. I will look more into the huckleberry oak

I have a good friend who has done up a pretty nice site that you may be interested in having a look at. He is storing loads of different acorns, hybridizing them and then propagating trees. Here is the link:

Oaktopia

Thanks for the help

 

[trees4ever]

MTCInc. -
Thanks for the Oaktopia link.
I know of Dave from some WCISA meetings at Stanford.
It's a small world!

Let us know what you find out about your mystery tree.

-Diane-