Crazy Curvy Oaks in nature

[bonsai barry]

Yesterday, I sailed to Santa Cruz channel island off of the CA coast. I was with a group researching an endemic fox that lives there but these oaks (and a pine) caught my eye. I'm not sure I've seen such twisted oaks.

 

[bonsai barry]

More of the same thing.

 

[daygan]

Wow. Great images. Thanks for posting! Do you know what species these oaks are?

 

[bonsaibp]

Maybe Quercus parvula, Santa Cruz Island Oak.Or a Quercus agrifolia sport.

 

[Ris]

Thanks for sharing those amazing natural grown oaks very relaxing to the eye.
So much to see there...

 

[bonsai barry]

Wow. Great images. Thanks for posting! Do you know what species these oaks are?

I don't have a positive identification but I think Bob is correct, Quercus parvula Santa Cruz Oak.

 

[PaulH]

Beautiful! Did you get any leaf close-ups?

 

[bonsai barry]

Beautiful! Did you get any leaf close-ups?

Sorry, no leaf photos. There was another variety of ground hugging oak with very small leaves (there is a similar variety in the Sierra that is known as huckleberry oak). I would love to try to work with that.