Mystery Oak

[bonsai barry]

I bought this oak at an old nursery about three years ago (Can't find the photo of the tree at the time of purchase). The tree was orginally twice this height. Not sure what type of live oak this is, in fact I don't recognize it as a native of California. I worked on it a bit today and plan to put it in a bonsai pot this spring.

 

[PaulH]

It is really hard to say as oaks can have so much leaf variability within a species and are so prone to hybridize.
That won't stop me from making a guess, though. One clue is the lighter color on the underside of leaves. Could be Quercus chrysolepsis, canyon or gold - cup oak. Or maybe Q. ilex, Holm oak.
Nice trunk and base for an oak.

 

[JudyB]

I like the angle of planting you are using with this second pic.
Not that you asked for any opinions, but I wonder if you've ever thought of removing the branch from the left that crosses the trunk at the center of the front. I think it confuses the eye, and there seem to be almost too many coming from the same place on the left where that one starts anyway.....
Just a thought, I like this tree.

 

[bonsai barry]

It is really hard to say as oaks can have so much leaf variability within a species and are so prone to hybridize.
That won't stop me from making a guess, though. One clue is the lighter color on the underside of leaves. Could be Quercus chrysolepsis, canyon or gold - cup oak. Or maybe Q. ilex, Holm oak.
Nice trunk and base for an oak.

I'm familiar with the canyon oak, I don't think it is that.... the bark is wrong. I checked out Holm oak online and that looks like a possibility.

 

[bonsai barry]

I like the angle of planting you are using with this second pic.
Not that you asked for any opinions, but I wonder if you've ever thought of removing the branch from the left that crosses the trunk at the center of the front. I think it confuses the eye, and there seem to be almost too many coming from the same place on the left where that one starts anyway.....
Just a thought, I like this tree.

Nice suggestion, Judy. I agree with your observation, but I tend to overplay the front, leaving it looking a bit like a dissection, so I'm leaving this branch for now since I'm not certain that this is the front.

 

[Dav4]

Nice suggestion, Judy. I agree with your observation, but I tend to overplay the front, leaving it looking a bit like a dissection, so I'm leaving this branch for now since I'm not certain that this is the front.

As others have said, nice trunk, base and bark. I second Judy's suggestion if the front seen here remains. As long as you've got our attention...can we see pics from other angles or potential fronts. Nice stock!

 

[timhanson81]

Very cool tree you have there!

I'm not sure how commonly they end up in the nursery trade but another possibility, especially based on your location in CA, is the island oak (Quercus tomentella). Although they are naturally restricted to the Channel Islands I know native plant nurseries often carry them and I've seen mature specimens at the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden. Which by the way is a "must visit" if you are interested in California native plants.

 

[PaulH]

Very cool tree you have there!

I'm not sure how commonly they end up in the nursery trade but another possibility, especially based on your location in CA, is the island oak (Quercus tomentella). Although they are naturally restricted to the Channel Islands I know native plant nurseries often carry them and I've seen mature specimens at the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden. Which by the way is a "must visit" if you are interested in California native plants.

I have a tomentella and the leaves are quite different from this. they have sort of a corrugated surface.

 

[bonsaibp]

Pretty sure it's a Q. Viriginiana sp? Southern Live Oak.
I have some here and they are occainisionaly available at general nurseries .