Virginia Tech Dendrology

Mexican blue oak Fagaceae Quercus oblongifolia Torr. symbol: QUOB
Leaf: Alternate, evergreen, simple, oblong, 1 to 2 inches long, entire margins, rounded tip, leathery and stiff, blue-green above, green beneath.
Flower: Species is monoecious; males in long drooping catkins, yellow-green; females very small spikes in leaf axils, appearing with the leaves.
Fruit: Oblong acorn, 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, reddish; scaly bowl-shaped cap, covers 1/3 of nut; ripens in 1 year in early fall.
Twig: Slender to moderate, hairless; end buds clustered, reddish brown and blunt.
Bark: Light gray with shallow furrows that develop into rectangular patches with scaly tops.
Form: A small tree or large shrub reaching up to 30 feet with a short trunk and a spreading round crown.
Looks like: Emory oak - gray oak - Arizona white oak - netleaf oak

Additional Range Information: Quercus oblongifolia is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database
All material © 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information