Quercus durata

Leather Oak, Quercus durata, is an evergreen oak that averages 8'. It is useful for hot, dry, rocky areas where you need a little tree or bushy oak. It grows on serpentine soils but. It is native to the coast ranges, islands of Calif. and Baja. It has been easy to grow and makes a beautifully pruned item with manzanitas growing under it. With boulders, manzanitas (Arctostaphylos) and a lot of mulch you could create a Japanese Garden that would not need care or water.

Leather Oak is native a few miles from here. It is mixed in a chaparral area that supports everything from Toyon to Madrone. This tree has been fairly drought tolerant and survived the Dec. 1990 cold in five gallon containers better than the Alders and redwoods did.

This tree has excellent bonsai properties. The leaf is small,dark green with a golden fuzz on the rolled underside and no bristles.

Oaks.