Quercus kelloggii
Californian Black Oak
a perennial woody deciduous member of the Quercus genus in the family Fagaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - cooked[13][2][4].Used as a staple food by several native North American Indian tribes[8]. A bitter taste[7]. The seed is 25 - 30mm long and 18mm wide[11][6], it can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. The seed contains bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water 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[9].
- Product or use
- Astringent
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[5]. 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[9]. The galls have been used as a dark dye for the hair[8]. Acorn meal has been used to mend cracks in clay pots[8]. Wood - coarse-grained, heavy, hard, strong, very brittle, not very durable. It is of little economic importance, but is occasionally used for fence posts and as a fuel[11][7].
- Product or use
- Adhesive
- Product or use
- Dye
- Product or use
- Repellent
- Product or use
- Tannin
- Product or use
- Wood
Ecology and functions
- Ecosystem niche
- Canopy
Environment
- Range
- South-western N. America - California to Oregon.
- Habitat
- Clay or gravelly soils in hills and mountains below 2500 metres[10][7]. Sometimes forms groves of considerable extent in coniferous forests[11].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- light shade
- Water
- moderate
- Soil textures
- loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Tolerances
- high wind
- Wind
- Yes
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
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[3]. 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][3]. Young plants tolerate reasonable levels of side shade[6]. Tolerates moderate exposure, surviving well but being somewhat stunted[6]. A very ornamental plant[1], it grows well at Kew, occasionally producing fertile seed[3]. It 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[6]. The tree flowers on new growth produced in spring, the seed taking two summers to ripen[7]. Intolerant of root disturbance, trees should be planted in their permanent positions whilst young[3]. Hybridizes freely with other members of the genus[6]. This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[12][6].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00
Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00
Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.
Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-88266-064-0
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980-00-00 ISBN 0442238622
Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959-00-00
Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20278-X
RHS. The Garden. Volume 112. Royal Horticultural Society 1987-00-00
Sweet. M. Common Edible and Useful Plants of the West. Naturegraph Co. 1962-00-00 ISBN 0-911010-54-8