Quercus kelloggii Newberry California Black Oak.
Deciduous, native to the valleys and coastal mountain ranges of California and Oregon to an altitude of 2,000m (6,500ft). Grown in botanical collections in Europe. The acorns were once the staple diet of the Californian Indians and the brittle wood used for fuel. Height to 30m (95ft) or more. The flowers can be seen in early May with the new leaves, the females are in the leaf axils. The acorns are 3.7cm (1½in) long, deeply enclosed in the cup, take two years to form and fall around October. Leaf 7.5-l5cm (3-6in) long, dark shining green above, paler below.