Canyon Live Oak
Quercus chrysolepis
A tough, slow, exceptionally hard-wooded evergreen oak of Western canyons and slopes, with holly-like leaves and golden-fuzzed acorn cups (chrysolepis = 'golden scale'). Also called maul oak or goldcup oak; drought-adapted and long-lived, with some resistance to (but not immunity from) the Phytophthora that causes sudden oak death.
Field reference
Family
Fagaceae
Growth rate
Slow
Mature size
20–60 ft tall, 30–70 ft spread
Hardiness zone
7–9
Soil preference
Rocky, well-drained canyon and slope soils; very drought-tolerant
Sun
Full sun to part shade
Pruning window
Dry summer to limit disease and borer activity
Wood properties
Exceptionally hard, heavy, strong evergreen oak — among the densest North American woods, once used for maul wedges, tool handles, and wagon parts (hence 'maul oak'). Massive, spreading limbs carry heavy loads.
Native range
Western United States and Mexico, especially California's mountains and canyons
Green weight
64 lb/ft³
Pests & diseases to watch
Common questions
Why is canyon live oak called 'maul oak'?
Its wood is among the hardest and heaviest of any North American oak — historically split into wedges, mauls, tool handles, and wagon parts. That density also makes green removals very heavy to rig and cut.
Is canyon live oak affected by sudden oak death?
It can host the pathogen (Phytophthora ramorum) but is more tolerant than the highly susceptible tanoak and coast live oak. Avoid moving infected material and keep trees unstressed in affected regions.
Related species in Fagaceae
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