Practical
Plants

Quercus garryana

Oregon White Oak

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Quercus genus in the family Fagaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Fagaceae
Genus
Quercus
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
slow
Height
18 m
Spread
10 m
Fertility
Wind
Flower type
monoecious
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - raw or cooked[8]. Up to 25mm long[7]. Up to 32mm long and 25mm wide according to other reports[15][9], which also said that it has a sweet taste[9]. The seed is ground into a powder and used in making bread etc, it is a good thickener for soups and stews[4]. The seed has a high content of bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the dried and ground up seed in water[4], though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. The traditional method of preparing the seed was to bury it in boggy ground overwinter. The germinating seed was dug up in the spring when it would have lost most of its astringency. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute.

Product or use
Coffee
Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc[11]. A decoction of the bark has been used in the treatment of tuberculosis[10]. An infusion of the plant has been drunk by a mother before her first baby comes[10]. The pounded bark has been rubbed on the abdomen and sides of the mother before her first delivery[10].

Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
TB

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A mulch of the leaves repels slugs, grubs etc, though fresh leaves should not be used as these can inhibit plant growth[6]. Oak galls are excrescences that are sometimes produced in great numbers on the tree and are caused by the activity of the larvae of different insects. The insects live inside these galls, obtaining their nutrient therein. When the insect pupates and leaves, the gall can be used as a rich source of tannin, that can also be used as a dyestuff[11]. Wood - hard, heavy, strong, tough, close grained, durable, easy to split. Used for furniture, cabinet making, general construction etc and also for fence posts and fuel[12][14][15][3][8][9].

Product or use
Repellent
Product or use
Tannin
Product or use
Wood

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Canopy

Environment

Range
Western N. America - British Columbia to California.
Habitat
Dry prairies and foothills to rocky bluffs[13].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 6+
Soil textures
loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerances
high wind, drought
Wind
Yes
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - it quickly loses viability if it is allowed to dry out. It can be stored moist and cool overwinter but is best sown as soon as it is ripe in an outdoor seed bed, though it must be protected from mice, squirrels etc. Small quantities of seed can be sown in deep pots in a cold frame. Plants produce a deep taproot and need to be planted out into their permanent positions as soon as possible, in fact seed sown in situ will produce the best trees[2]. Trees should not be left in a nursery bed for more than 2 growing seasons without being moved or they will transplant very badly.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a good deep fertile loam which can be on the stiff side[1][2]. Lime tolerant[5]. Young plants tolerate reasonable levels of side shade[7]. Tolerates moderate exposure, surviving well but being somewhat stunted[7]. Prefers warmer summers than are usually experienced in Britain, trees often grow poorly in this country and fail to properly ripen their wood resulting in frost damage overwinter[2][7]. A slow-growing and drought tolerant tree[5][9], it can live for 500 years[9]. Seed production is cyclic, with a year of high production being followed by 2 - 3 years of lower yields[9]. The tree flowers on new growth produced in spring, the seed ripening in its first year[7][9]. Intolerant of root disturbance, trees should be planted in their permanent positions whilst young[2]. Hybridizes freely with other members of the genus[7]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[7].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  3. Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952-00-00

    ↩

  4. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2

  5. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩1↩2

  6. Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-88266-064-0

    ↩

  7. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  8. Lauriault. J. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Ontario. 1989-00-00 ISBN 0889025649

    ↩1↩2

  9. Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980-00-00 ISBN 0442238622

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  10. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  11. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2

  12. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  13. Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press 1955-00-00

    ↩

  14. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩

  15. Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20278-X

    ↩1↩2

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