Buy Quercus lobata

Valley oak is a wstern sort of white oak, a beautiful tree that needs careful siting north of zone 7 to succeed, It is rather obscure in gardens (Dirr doesn't list it). Lobata will eventually reach 35m in height.

A deciduous tree that grows to 70'. Grows into the largest of North American oaks. It is also the fastest growing of our California Oaks, it can grow to 20' in 5 years. William Henry Brewer, chief botanist for the first California Geological Survey wrote "Some of these oaks were noble ones indeed. How I wish one stood in our yard at home." Valley oaks are tolerant of weeds or lawn under them. Deer will brows so protect when young. If you plant a young one in a lawn area they will flourish but do not plant a lawn under an old one. Endemic to CA. A variety of mammals and birds eat them, including the Acorn Woodpecker, Western Scrub Jay, Yellow-billed Magpie, and California ground squirrel. Native Americans used valley oak acorns for making meal. Over 50% of their caloric intake was satisfied by acorns, particularly during the fall and winter. Found in dense riparian forests, open foothill woodlands and valley savannas. Communitites located in Foothill Woodland Between 0 and 2000 feet .

Patriarch of the western oaks; a large, graceful, deciduous tree with a rounded crown and often broader than tall, growing 50-70' tall and wide. Features a short trunk and large arching limbs. Deep green, lobed leaves are shed in autumn. Acorns are mahogany or chestnut brown in color. Bark is dark brown or ashen gray and heavily fissured. White oak favors hot valleys away from fog and ocean influence. Will take considerable shade, but prefers full sun. Best in deep, rich soils of deltas and flood plains and will grow rapidly once its tap root reaches ground water. Adapted to long summer seasons of drought and heat as well as extreme moisture but is highly sensitive to construction and urban landscaping activities that have disturbed soil grades, microclimates and natural moisture conditions around established specimens. Long, drooping outer branches sometimes sweep the ground. "Oak balls", which result from insect activity, are lightweight, corky spheres the size of tennis balls. They turn black and tan before falling and do not harm the tree. Occasional to infrequent water once established. Hardy to 0 °F. California interior valleys; Sacramento and San Joaquin, Sierra foothills and Coast Ranges away from direct coastal influence.

The monarch of deciduous oaks (Peattie), this magnificent, wide-spreading tree of California valleys is upright for 100 years (or so!), then weeping; thought to be the most adaptable ; water tolerant of the Western native oaks. Sun/Med-Dry/GdDrain