Trees Around Las Vegas, Vegetation Around Las Vegas
 Hiker walking in the shade of a Gambel Oak tree |
General: Gambel Oak (Quercus gambelii) is a deciduous shrub or tree of the middle-elevation mountains with acorns (or at least acorn caps from last year) and 3- to 4-inch-long, lobed leaves with smooth edges (no spine on lobe tips). Compare with the leaves of Shrub Live Oak (Quercus turbinella). No other tree in our area has similarly lobed leaves. Gambel Oak is an uncommon component of vegetation communities on middle-elevation mountain canyons and slopes in the Upper Sonoran (Pinyon-Juniper Woodland) and Transition (Yellow Pine Forest) life zones. Family: Oak (Fagaceae). Other Names: Scrub oak, oak brush, white oak, Gambel's Oak; Quercus turbinella. Plant Form: Shrub or small tree. Generally occurs as shrub thickets at lower elevations, but more tree-like at higher elevations. |
 Gambel Oak growing as an isolated shrub |
Height: 6 to 15 feet, sometimes to about 20 feet. Bark: Bark gray or brown, scaly. Stems: Twigs brown or reddish brown. Leaves: Petiole about 1/2 inch long. Blade oval, to 4.5 inches, with 4-6 deep lobes. Dorsal surface glossy green, ventral surface pale and velvety. Lobes without spines. Deciduous. Flowers: Blooms mid-late spring. Staminate inflorescences: catkins, slender, flowers many. Pistillate inflorescence among upper leaves. Staminate and pistillate flowers minute; no petals. Seeds: Acorn, solitary or paired. Cap deeply cup-shaped, enclosing up to half of the acorn. Acorn green, aging to brown in 1 year. |
 Leaves deeply lobed, no spines |
Habitat: Moist mountain slopes, shady canyons, and ravines. Elevation: 4,000 to 6,400 feet. Distribution: Southwestern U.S. to Texas and south into Mexico. Comments: Gambel oak hybridizes with other scrub oaks (including Shrub Live Oak), sometimes making identification difficult. |
 Gambel Oak growing as a tree along a mountain wash |
 Gambel Oak growing as a shrub thicket along a desert wash |
 Gambel Oak growing as a single tree in the mountains |
 Gambel Oak growing as a thicket of trees in the mountains |
 Gambel Oak growing as a shrub thicket after a fire |
 Gambel Oak growing as a shrub thicket along a trail |
 Spring: fresh, young leaf (dorsal surface) |
 Summer: green lobed leaves (dorsal surface) |
 Spring: fresh, young leaves; dorsal leaf dark, ventral surface light |
 Spring: fresh, young leaf (ventral surface) |
 Gambel Oak flowers |
 Gambel Oak flowers |
 Gambel Oak flowers |
 Gambel Oak flowers |
 Gambel Oak leaves with young acorns |
 Gambel Oak leaves with young acorns enclosed inside the caps |
 Gambel Oak young acorns enclosed inside the caps |
 Gambel Oak young acorns enclosed inside the caps |
 Gambel Oak young acorns (note backside of acorn) |
 Gambel Oak young acorns enclosed inside the caps |
 Gambel Oak young acorn enclosed inside the cap |
 Gambel Oak young acorn enclosed inside the cap |
 Fall colors |
 Fall colors |
 Gambel Oak leaves during fall |
 Gambel Oak leaves during fall |
 Gambel Oak shrub thicket during winter |
 Gambel Oak tree thicket during winter |
 Gambel Oak leaves during winter |
 Gambel Oak leaves during winter |
Note: All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate. Names generally follow the USDA database.
; Last updated 240630
| All Deciduous Trees | Plant Species Index | Glossary | Copyright, Conditions, Disclaimer | Home |