# Nuttall's Scrub Oak (*quercus dumosa*)

The Nuttall's Scrub Oak is a small tree that provides shelter for many animals. Its acorns are a tasty treat for squirrels and birds!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Habitat:** Nuttall's Scrub Oak typically lives in chaparral and coastal sage scrub areas.
- **Also known as:** Dwarf Oak, Nuttall Oak, Scrub Oak

![Nuttall's Scrub Oak](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Quercus_dumosa_acorn_and_twigs_1.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Toyonbro, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Quercus_dumosa_acorn_and_twigs_1.jpg)

## Appearance

The Nuttall's Scrub Oak is a shrubby evergreen oak with stiff, dark green leaves that have spiny, toothed edges. Its bark is dark and deeply furrowed, typically appearing on multiple stems. Small, oblong acorns with warty caps are characteristic, often clustered at branch tips.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Fagales
- **Family:** Fagaceae
- **Genus:** Quercus

## Interesting facts

- It's one of the smallest oak trees, often growing more like a bush!
- Its acorns take two whole years to ripen before they are ready.
- Many creatures depend on this oak for food, shelter, and survival.
- This amazing oak can live for hundreds of years, becoming very ancient!

## Special abilities

- **Fire Survivalist:** Nuttall'S Scrub Oak can resprout from its base after fires, helping it survive wildfire events.
- **Drought Defender:** Nuttall'S Scrub Oak has deep taproots that help it reach water in dry conditions, enduring arid climates.
- **Spiny Shield:** Nuttall'S Scrub Oak has tough, spiny leaves that help defend it from hungry animals seeking a snack.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 100-500 cm
- **Spread:** 100-400 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Wind

## Ecological connections

- **Eats:** [Western Gray Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-gray-squirrel) (*Sciurus griseus*) — Feasts on its acorns
- **Depends on:** [Acorn Woodpecker](https://www.snappit.app/explore/acorn-woodpecker) (*Melanerpes formicivorus*) — Stores and eats its acorns
- **Shelter:** Coastal Horned Lizard (*Phrynosoma coronatum*) — Hides among its branches
- **Eats:** [Filbertworm moth](https://www.snappit.app/explore/filbertworm-moth) (*Cydia latiferreana*) — Larvae consume acorns

## Traits

- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Nuttall's Scrub Oak?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Nuttall's Scrub Oak?

100-500 cm

### How wide does Nuttall's Scrub Oak spread?

100-400 cm

### When does Nuttall's Scrub Oak bloom?

Spring

### Is Nuttall's Scrub Oak edible?

Yes

### Is Nuttall's Scrub Oak toxic?

None

### What is Nuttall's Scrub Oak's lifecycle?

Perennial

### How is Nuttall's Scrub Oak pollinated?

Wind

## Where to spot

- [Serra Mesa Community Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/serra-mesa-community-park) — California, US · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Nuttall's Scrub Oak: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/nuttalls-scrub-oak)