Master Plant Descriptions

PLANT DATABASE This information is for everyone to use to promote dissemination of what we believe to be correct.
We do not grow everything on these lists all of the time but are providing information often difficult to find.
If there are any errors, please email the webmaster at the bottom of the page so that we can correct it for everyone.

Mountain Man will show you scales of plants denotes plants usually in production

Texas Red Oak While similar in appearance to the chinquapin oak, the Texas red oak has more deeply-lobed leaves that turn red in the late fall. Native to the hill country west of San Antonio, Texas red oak will form a medium-sized tree 25-30 feet tall and wide. This cold-hardy tree seems happier at higher elevations! Specimens planted in hot exposures in the Phoenix area have suffered some leaf burn in the summer. USDA Zone 6.

Blue Oak The blue oak is a deciduous tree that has a slow growth rate and reaches 50 ft. high. It develops 2in. lobed blue-green leaves. The canyon live oak is very drought tolerant, is native to California and attracts butterflies.

Evergreen shrub to medium sized tree. Slow growing. Oval leaves. Native from Texas to Arizona and south. Full sun. Drought tolerant. Adaptable to different soils with good drainage. Grows in moist canyons, valleys and creek bottoms. In Texas @ 4500'+. Will not grow on alkaline soils and must have moisture. Leaves are holly like, dark green, stiff and glossy with toothed margins. Nearly evergreen. Acorns are sweet.

For a more detailed and printable info sheet

Englemann Oak, Mesa Oak Native to San Diego and Los Angeles counties in California, and ranging south into Baja California, stands of this oak have been greatly reduced by urban sprawl, and a movement is underway to protect undisturbed specimens and reintroduce plants into urban areas. Eventually growing to 50-60 feet tall and wide, this evergreen oak forms a great shade tree over time. Its long, rounded leaves are blue-green in color. This oak has surprised us with its great performance during our summer heat, even in nursery containers! It has also remained completely evergreen during our winters. According to Sunset Western Garden Book, this oak can tolerate temperatures down to 0ºF. USDA Zone 7.

Escarpment Live Oak Very similar in appearance to the coastal live oak, Quercus fusiformis is so different in its adaptability to harsh conditions that botanists felt it warranted its own classification. The escarpment live oak is native to west Texas, and is more drought-tolerant and cold-hardy than the coastal live oak. It has performed very well during our summers here in Phoenix, and has handled the cold in Albuquerque with no damage, although it did go deciduous there. One of the few evergreen oaks (in low and middle deserts), Q. fusiformis grows slowly to a mature size of 50 feet tall and wide, forming a long-lived shade tree. USDA Zone 6.

Gambel Oak is native over a wide range in the southwestern U.S. and Mexico, from 4000' to 8000' in elevation. Usually found in dense thickets, its size varies from 5 foot shrubs to 50 foot trees, depending upon available moisture and deer browsing. With adequate moisture, gambel oak can grow 2 feet per year. It is much happier in locations where temperatures cool off at night, such as Albuquerque, Las Vegas, and even colder locations. Infrequent, deep irrigations are best, since root rot can occur in heavy soils that are not allowed to dry out between waterings. In very sandy, well-draining soils more frequent irrigations will be needed. Gambel oak has deeply-lobed, deciduous leaves and rough, grey bark. USDA Zone 5.

Great medium-sized oak that can reach a mature size of 45' tall by 35' wide. Nice upright, rounded form great as a street tree or in parks. Fall color is most pronounced in colder areas, with orange and red shades. Native to Texas. Cool blue-green leaves cover this small deciduous tree. Perfect for small spaces. A Hill Country Native. Drought tolerant and heavy alkaline soil tolerant. 20 x 30'

Nice, upright oak. Reaches an eventual landscape size of 30' tall and wide. In colder regions, this oak will attain a spectacular red to orange fall color. Native to west Texas in high canyons above 5000' Grows on igneous or limestone soils. In Texas, only oak to have great fall color w of Pecos. Related to texana and schumardii. Will grow in other areas such as Dallas but without fall color.

California White Oak, Valley Oak The largest of the California oaks, Quercus lobata eventually forms a massive tree to 60-70 feet tall and wide. This deciduous tree is primarily found in the interior valleys and the southern foothill regions of California. Its deep root system allows it to withstand long periods of drought. The California white oak can also handle extremely cold temperatures, according to Sunset Western Garden Book. USDA Zone 7.

Chinquapin Oak This tree has large green leaves that give it a more lush appearance than most of the other native oaks. We have been impressed with the way this tree handles the summer heat in the lower deserts! In the fall, the leaves turn orange to bronze, providing some rare fall color in our region. Chinquapin oak grows more rapidly than other oaks in our hot summers. Native to west Texas, this oak is extremely cold hardy and will form a medium-sized tree, to about 30 feet tall and wide. Hardy to 0° F. USDA Zone 7.

Small semi-evergreen tree slow to 25'. Rough dark gray bark. Leaves will drop in spring before new growth begins. New Mexico west into Arizona and south. Full sun. Drought resistant. Distinctive crown of smoky blue gray foliage. Zone 7.

Monterrey Oak Upright oak in youth that will spread with age. Monterrey Oak can reach an eventual size of about 80' tall by 60' wide. Semi-evergreen in all but the coldest climates. irregularly lobed leaves emerge as reddish-maroon and then develop a deep blue-green color. Native to west Texas. Zone 7.

Low growing evergreen shrub reaches 12 ft. tall. Has spreading branches. Native California -> Texas and to higher elevations 4-4500'. Extremely drought tolerant. A butterfly plant. Leaves are small leathery gray blue and evergreen with smooth edges. Acorns ripen very early sometimes in mid June and are small and slender. Similar in appearance but much larger than Hinckley Oak. Tolerates a wide range of soil types. Zone 6.