| scientific name: Quercus gambelli family: Fagaceae
other common name(s): scrub oak
description: small tree or woody shrub. Click here for a description of gambel oak in the USDA Plants Database.
propagation method(s): acorns, collected in autumn of 1998. This is the only year I have observed gambel oaks in our area producing acorns. I do not know why the gambel oaks produce acorns so infrequently or what conditions cause them to decide to produce their acorns.
germination: As soon as I collected the acorns, I planted some directly in the forest and some in a prepared garden bed. These had very poor germination although some in the garden bed did germinate 2 years later. I placed the rest in a plastic container which I stored in my refrigerator. These acorn apparently received the moisture and cold they needed as most split open and small seedlings appeared in June. I planted these acorns in the forest and the garden bed and all produced seedlings. In June, 2001, I transplanted the last 8 seedlings to the forest site. This photograph was taken in June 2001 of gambel oaks that had been growing in the garden bed since 2000.
planting site(s): The area under our utility lines is a 25 foot wide swath through our forest. We, of course, do not want tall trees to grow there so I am trying to establish gambel oak. The area is east sloping and receives at least 8 hours of sun in the summer. The soil is very poor and rocky.
success rate: I have had more success germinating the acorns in a garden bed and transplanting the seedlings to their final destination rather then planting the acorns in their permanent positions. This may be because it is easier to water the garden bed then to haul water up into the forest. Although all the transplanted gambel oaks initially survive, some critter has taken a liking to them and every winter eats some. Only about 25% of the plants have survived the critter. These gambel oaks are growing very slowly.
references:
Utah State University Extension, Gambel Oak Care
. This is a PDF document; you will need Acrobat Reader to view
it.
Proctor, Rob. "Xeriscape Plant Guide". 1996 Fulcrum Publishing.
ISBN 1-55591-322-9 |
